HAMANTASCHEN

MY TAKE

Holidays and festivals of all cultures are commonly celebrated with specific traditional and symbolic foods.. Making (and eating!) these foods with family and friends is a fun way to acknowledge the celebration as well as mark the passage of time and the season each year. The Jewish festival of Purim always includes a fun, easy to make traditional pastry called Hamantaschen.

Hamantaschen are pastries that are folded into a triangular shape to create a pocket that is filled with sweet fillings, although savoury fillings can also be used. These pastries are said to be in the shape of the evil Haman's three-pointed hat, while some say they represent his ears or the pockets of his robe. In terms of flavour and experience, they are akin to to jam tarts.

The filling can be anything from jam/preserves, poppyseeds, nut butters, chocolate, date spread and even cheese. Whilst traditionalists may leave the filled pockets plain, they can be decorated with any sprinkles, ground nuts, chocolate flakes or icing - what ever you have at hand. For me decorating is the most fun!

You will need a hand-held or electric mixer for the pastry and of course a rolling pin. You are required to cut out small circles of about 3 inches in diameter - this can be done with a cookie cutter or the rim of an appropriately sized glass or other container. Dip the rim of your cutter/container in flour before cutting out the circles. They are baked in the oven for only a short time so there isn't a long wait to consume these delightful pastries that fill the house with a gorgeous aroma! I have never known there to be any left-overs in my house and they make great food gifts for others, which is also a tradition of this festival.

HISTORY

Hamantaschen have origins dating back to medieval Europe in Ashkenazi Jewish communities. The name comes from the Yiddish words “Haman” (the villain of the Purim story) and “taschen” (meaning pockets), symbolizing the defeat of Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jews in ancient Persia. The pastries were originally filled with mohn (poppy seeds), which were popular in Central and Eastern European baking. Over time, new fillings like fruit preserves, chocolate, and nuts became common. Some interpretations suggest that their triangular shape represents Haman’s hat, ears, or pockets, while others connect them to the hidden nature of Purim’s miracles, just as the sweet fillings are concealed inside the dough.

Interestingly, the Purim festival has a strong focus on the heroism of women. The story of Purim, as told in the Book of Esther (in the Talmud), centres around Queen Esther, who courageously risks her life to save her people. She uses diplomacy, intelligence, and bravery to expose Haman's evil plans to King Ahasuerus. Both Esther's (and Queen Vashti's) defiance is an early example of women asserting their dignity and agency.

LET'S TALK

Please let me know how you fare with this recipe and if you have any suggestions to improve it. I know that some of you will have your own family's version of this recipe passed down over years - which you may not want to part with! Send me your photos and your comments.

GALLERY

THE RECIPE - HAMANTASCHEN

Servings: approx. 20-25 pastries Prep time: 15 + (chill) + 20 mins Chill time: 60 min

INGREDIENTS

173 grams unsalted butter at room temperature

130 grams granulated sugar

270 grams all purpose flour plus a 2 tbsps for rolling

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated orange or lemon zest or zest of your choice

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

2 - 3 tsps of cold water (if needed)

1 small egg beaten (for egg wash - this is optional)

Fillings of your choice (suggestions below)

Filling approx. half a teaspoon for each pocket (do not over fill)

Poppy Seed Paste (Mohn)

Apricot/Raspberry/Strawberry Jam

Date spread

Chocolate chips

Nutella

Peanut Butter

Pistachio Paste

Decoration:

This step is absolutely optional but for me has always been the most fun and it is something that children adore doing!!

Sprinkles

Drizzled or dipped icing.

Drizzled or dipped chocolate.

Chocolate curls.

Chopped nuts.

(you can of course change the colour of your dough by adding a very small amount of food colouring at step 3 of preparation

INSTRUCTIONS

Gather together your choice of fillings. Prepare zest. Beat room temperature butter and sugar together until smooth.
Add room temperature egg, zest, and vanilla until mixed thoroughly.
Sift together flour and salt. Then add dry ingredients to wet mixture until just incorporated. Dough should be slightly tacky to touch. If dough is too soft add more flour, if too firm and crumbly add a few drops of water.
Form dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Dough should be chilled in fridge for about 1 hour. Dough should be used within 24 hours OR dough can be frozen at this stage for future use.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Dust rolling surface with small amount of flour and roll out dough to approx. 1/4 inch thick. Using a round approx. 3 inch cookie cutter, or similar sized glass/container - cut out circles in your dough. To prevent dough sticking to your glass or cutter, dip them in some flour before cutting each circle.

6. Place approx. half a teaspoon of your desired filling in the centre. Do not overfill as the filling has a tendency to overflow when heated. To keep dough from drying out cover unused circles with a damp towel whilst working on other fillings and shaping the dough.

Fold each circle into a triangle according to photos below - you can also pinch edges of triangle firmly - this does not always remain stuck so folding and then pinching is best. Do not stress (you are not a factory) the uneven and home made nature of these pastries is part of their appeal! Well at least I am going with that! Hamantaschen should then be chilled for approx. 20 mins before going into the oven.
If you wish your Hamantaschen to be "darker (more golden in colour) and "shiny" with a bit of extra bite - brush dough with egg wash just prior to putting in oven. I use a whole egg beaten with water and brush it on lightly avoiding the opening, it also can be used to help seal/fix the corners if they look like they may come apart whilst baking.
Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 - 25 minutes depending on your desired texture. Transfer to wire rack to cool and then seal in an airtight container until ready to serve. A lot of mine don't make it that far! They can be served as a snack or dessert.