As far back as I can remember, I have made my own hamantashen on Purim. My mother would make the dough and roll it out and my sisters and I would cut the out circles. We’d add the filling and pinch together the sides and bask in our accomplishment.
It was painfully difficult to wait between making the three-cornered delight until they were fully baked and ready to be eaten. We would smell the cinnamon and sugar topping (the secret ingredient that makes them smell almost as good as they taste) and our impatience would get the best of us. We’d bite into the cookies before they cooled off…resulting in burnt taste buds from the hot sugary jelly inside.
From an objective standpoint years later, I think I can say it was definitely worth it.
I am now in the baking module of my culinary program and have definitely been inspired to experiment! I am always experimental in my recipes, but this one required revamping a classic. You’ll see what I mean.
I hope you enjoy my take on the classic hamantashen and enjoy these as much as I and many other taste-testers did!
Lime and Mint Hamantaschen
Yields 2½ dozen
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Earth Balance or butter, softened
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white for assembling the cookie)
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons peppermint oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves, minced
- Raw sugar (optional)
Lime Curd Filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup Earth Balance or butter
- 1/8 cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon lime zest
- 2 eggs, beaten
Directions:
- Dough: Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla, peppermint oil and mint leaves. Beat in flour mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out refrigerated dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut rounds, until dough is finished. Fill the rounds with the lime curd filling.
- With your pinky, dip in egg white and lightly wet the edges around the hamantaschen. Make the hamantaschen triangle shape by folding the bottom to make two corners and pinching the top to make the 3rd (requires both hands). Brush the outer part of the hamantaschen with egg white and sprinkle on the raw sugar.
- Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.
- Filling: Place the sugar, earth balance, cornstarch, lime juice and lime zest in a sauce pan. Heat the mixture till the butter melts.
- Pour some of the lime mixture into the eggs and stir together to temper the eggs.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pan and whisk constantly till mixture starts to boil and thicken. Whisk for about a minute, take off heat and strain into a bowl (this will separate any egg that may have curdled from the curd itself).
- Refrigerate the curd till ready to use.
Tip: When baked, the filling soaks into the cookie and the curd deflates. They look beautiful and you still get that flavor, but if you wish to fill the cookie all the way up with curd after baking, make a double batch of the filling and fill in all the spots after the cookies are baked and cool.
Orange and Cherry Hamantaschen
Yields 2½ dozen
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Earth Balance or butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg (reserve the egg white for assembling the cookie)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Cherry Jam Filling:
- 1 (17.5 oz. jar) Cherry Preserves
(I love Trader Joe’s brand because whole cherries make up most of the jelly)
Directions:
- Dough: Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and orange zest. Beat in flour mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out refrigerated dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut rounds, until dough is finished.
- Fill the rounds with the cherry jam filling (see below). With your pinky, dip in egg white and lightly wet the edges around the hamantaschen.
- Make the hamantaschen triangle shape by folding the bottom to make two corners and pinching the top to make the 3rd (requires both hands).
- Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.
- Filling: Heat the cherry preserves on the stove until it starts to boil. Take off heat immediately and cool.
Hazelnut Chocolate Hamantashen
Makes 1 dozen
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 1-1/3 cups flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup Earth Balance or butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- 3 Tablespoons coconut cream (the cream on top separates from the water on the bottom)
Filling:
- 8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped ( I recommend Trader Joe’s brand)
- 8 oz. coconut cream
- Dash of salt
- 3 Tablespoons Frangelico Liqueur
- ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- ½ cup whole hazelnuts
Directions:
Dough:
- Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and almond extract. Beat in flour mixture until combined.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out refrigerated dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut rounds, until dough is finished. Fill the rounds with the chocolate-hazelnut ganache filling (see below).
- With your pinky, dip in egg white and lightly wet the edges around the hamantashen. Make the hamantaschen triangle shape by folding the bottom to make two corners and pinching the top to make the 3rd (requires both hands).
- Put a hazelnut on top of each hamantashen and bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.
Filling:
- Heat all of the ingredients together (except the hazelnuts) in a small saucepan till melted. Take off stove and add the chopped hazelnuts.
Alison Barnett is currently enrolled part-time in the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City and works full time for Synagogue Services at the Orthodox Union. She is one of the only observant Jews in this non-kosher culinary program and wants to demonstrate that an observant Jew can do what he or she is passionate about within the realms of Jewish law. Alison started her blog www.alibabka.com in July 2011 to express her passion for cooking and show others that anyone can cook with a little direction, the right tools and patience.
Alison is originally from Columbus, OH and currently resides in New York City.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.