We all know that it takes time to bake your own cookies and cakes, and it's far easier to buy them. But remember - there is nothing like the taste of homebaked baked goods, and no commercial product will use the same quality ingredients that you do.

If you have young children, it's both educational and fun to include them in the process, and you can delight in the fact that you are passing down a culinary tradition that's been going on for many generations.

But, if making hamentaschen seems just too time consuming, I've included a recipe for my favorite poppy seed cookies which take just 15-20 minutes to create.

Since not all of you are fans of whole wheat flour and natural ingredients, I'm including a recipe idea created by Pascal Peretz Rubin (for "Hashahar" Chocolate-Nut Spread manufacturers). I've adapted them just a bit, replacing butter for butter-flavored margarine and the like, but left the original ideas for the fillings.

POPPY SEED COOKIES

100 gr. butter

1 cup demerrara sugar (light brown)

2 eggs

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour or wheat germ

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

11/2 tsp. real vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. whole poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Beat the butter with the sugar till smooth, then beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Pass the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt through a wire mesh strainer, discarding any excess bran in the strainer. (If using wheat germ, just add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients - it cannot be sifted).

Stir in the poppy seeds. Using two spoons, lift a tsp of the mixture and with the other spoon, push it off onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave space between the cookies. Bake till golden - 8-12 minutes, then remove with a spatula and leave to cool, preferably on a rack.

PASCAL'S HAMENTASCHEN

3 cups self rising flour

1/2 cups sugar

200 gr. butter or margarine

1/2 container sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 Tsp. grated orange rind

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 cup powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

Choice of fillings:

(1) 1 400 gr. container chocolate nut spread

(2) 1/2 cups chocolate nut spread, 1 cup walnut halves

(3) 4 Tbsp. chocolate nut spread, 3 Tbsp. ready-made date and poppy seed filling, cinnamon to taste

(4) 5 Tbsp. chocolate nut spread, 5 Tbsp. halvah spread

Flour a working surface and a rolling pin. Divide the dough in two and roll out to 1/2 cm thick. Use a glass to cut out circles. If using filling #1, just put a quarter tsp. in the center of each circle and close. If using filling #2 - place a half nut in the center of each circle and place a quarter tsp. of the chocolate spread on top. Close.

For filling #3 - Mix all the ingredients together and place a quarter tsp. in each circle. Close.

For filling #4: Put a little less than a quarter tsp. each of halvah and chocolate spread in each circle and close. Roll out the second half of the dough and fill and close the same way. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet (or one lined with parchment paper) and bake in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool and sprinkle with the powdered sugar.

- Phyllis Glazer