There’s an old saying that goes, “two Jews, three opinions.” We’re a passionate bunch. So should it have been any surprise that this saying holds up when trying to find a straightforward recipe for hamantaschen? The internet abounds with dozens of different recipes for the classic Purim cookie. But don’t worry, because I’ve tried making almost every variation of recipe so you don’t have to.
Not enough liquid/too much flour.
First, what are hamantaschen?
Hamantaschen are three-cornered cookies that Ashkenazi Jews have traditionally eaten on Purim, commemorating the story of Queen Esther saving the Jews of Persia from her husband — King Ahasuerus’ — evil advisor, Haman. Haman had it out for the Jews after Mordechai — Esther’s cousin/adopted father — refused to bow down to him in keeping with Jews’ refusal of false idols. Oh, I should probably mention that King Ahasuerus didn’t know his new wife Esther was Jewish. She won a beauty contest to become queen after he banished his first wife, Queen Vashti, for refusing to dance naked for him. Don’t know about you, but he’s not winning many points with me.
Back to Haman. Haman was known for wearing a three-cornered hat and a big ego. It’s a look. Such a look that his hat inspired hamantaschen, literally meaning “Haman pocket” (cute). Some say the poppyseeds traditionally found inside hamantaschen represent Haman’s fleas (not cute). More commonly though, they are attributed to the vegetarian diet of nuts and seeds Queen Esther was said to have kept in Ahasuerus’ castle in order to keep kosher. At its most literal, the poppyseeds can be traced to “mohntaschen,” a German poppyseed cookie that was adapted by Jews for Purim and resembles the cookie we know today. Also, there’s this. Remember what I said about Jews and opinions?
To wrap up the history lesson and get to the cookies, we have: evil Haman, not-so-bright Ahasuerus, Jewish Queen of Persia Esther, and her cousin Mordechai. Vashti is already out of the picture. Mordechai visits Esther and tells her of her husband’s plan to kill all the Jews of Persia, thanks to Haman and his #ego. Terrified of what her new hubby would do if she confronted him (especially when she wasn’t summoned, which was apparently a big deal) (I mean, look what happened to former-Queen Vashti), Esther needs a little convincing but eventually comes around to confronting Ahasuerus.
And confront him she does. Girl throws a BANQUET and outs herself as Jewish and Haman as a jerk in front of all the guests! Ahasuerus, who is luckily a pushover, realizes that killing the Jews isn’t nice and reverses the plan. He also orders Haman be sent to the gallows he had built for the Jews. Damn.
The Jewish holiday, Purim is around the corner. And my favorite part? The cookies, of course! Hamantaschen are triangular shaped shortbread cookies filled with jams, nutella, poppyseed, you name it! The name Hamantaschen comes from Haman, the villain of the Purim story and the cookies are supposed to represent the defeat of the enemy of the Jewish people. I found this recipe for Hamantaschen years ago and it’s been my go-to ever since. She has great instructions with pictures on how to fold them and how to keep the jam from leaking out (this was always my biggest problem—TLDR barely fill them, the jam will spread out so you don’t need that much). The orange zest gives them a little something special, I swear these are the best hamantaschen I’ve ever had! In case you’re like me and prefer doughy cookies to crispy cookies, keep your dough on the thicker side.
Here’s Why Your Pastry Dough Is Too Crumbly, Soggy or Tough—and How to Fix It
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How do you make a hamantaschen?
Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle. Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle.
How long do you keep hamantaschen dough in the fridge?
Chill the dough. Form the dough into a disc shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. Cut out your hamantaschen. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it’s about ⅛-inch (4mm) thick. If the dough is too crumbly and breaks, leave it for a few minutes to soften.
How thick should hamantaschen dough be?
The biggest challenge with hamantaschen is maintaining their shape. Corners tend to open while baking, spilling the (delicious) filling everywhere. Roll your dough out to 1/6-inch thick. This is a little thicker than some other recipes, but I think it works very well for this soft dough.
What are hamantaschen cookies?
What are hamantaschen? Hamantaschen are traditional eastern-European cookies served on the Jewish holiday of Purim. They’re made from shortbread cookie dough which is formed into triangles and filled with all types of fillings, like poppy seed, chocolate spread, and jam..