In three weeks is the celebration of Purim! And as always, Hamantashen cookies are always present. For those who do not know about the story of Purim, I wrote an article about it about two years ago. Click here to read it (it will open in a separate window).
Now let’s take a look at how to make them.
Recipe
There is usually a slight disagreement as to what the perfect hamantashen texture should be. Some like itcakey, while others prefer the crisp cookie variety. The recipe below is crispy and crunchy.
This recipe does not have a count of how many cookies it makes, because you can make them any size you like. The dough is really easy to make so you could always quickly whip up some more whenever needed.
Ingredients
- 1 Stick softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (you can use either white or wheat flour)
For the filling, you can use just about any kind of fruit butters, jam, or pie fillings. Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune.
Directions
- Cut butter into sugar blending thoroughly
- Add the egg and blend thoroughly.
- Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, blending thoroughly between each 1/2 cup
- Put the batter in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.
- Roll the batter out to about 1/4-inch thickness and then cut circles with a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass. You can make the circles any size you like. The usual size is 3-1/2 inch (8.89 cm) diameter
- Put in a dollop of your favorite filling (a tablespoon at the most) in the middle of each circle. Do not put too much filling or it will overflow. Look at the photo to get a sense of how much to use
- Fold up the sides to make a triangle, overlapping the sides as much as possible so only a little filling shows through the middle.
- Bake at 375 (190 C) for about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Optional – Brush the top of the triangle with egg white to give it a little shine.
