I’ll preface this post by acknowledging that I’m not Jewish, so while I’m often mistaken for being a member of the tribe, I did not grow up learning my mom’s tried-and-true latke method or watching her expertly crimp hamantaschen. That said, I live on the Upper West Side of New York City, in close proximity to many institutions like Zabar’s and Barney Greengrass, so I know a thing or two about various so-called Jewish foods and what they’re supposed to taste like. Rugelach. Smoked fish. Challah. Hamantaschen.

Hamantaschen show up every year in bakeries around this time for Purim, a festival that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman, who was out to destroy them all in a single day. Hamantaschen have three pointed sides and an open face of filling, which is traditionally poppy seeds or dried fruit like prunes, but could also be something tasty like berries (a more newfangled hamantaschen). They are adorable and festive, but the ones I’ve had out and about are always a little heavy on the dough and light on the filling, and the dough often manages to strike a weird chord between being both soft and tough at the same time.

I had really meant to make these a year ago for a colleague who mentioned that I should try my hand at them, but I got busy and they fell off the to-do list, so I was kind of shocked when I googled Purim this year and realized I hadn’t missed it. So on Monday I cracked open my cookbooks and got to work. There were three hamantaschen recipes in my possession (not counting the internet, which is sometimes just so overwhelming in its helpfulness that it becomes unhelpful), and I opted to use the one from The Book of Jewish Food. This book has never failed me and is, I find, incredibly well-researched and true to tradition. I chose to make the traditional poppy seed and raisin filling, though next time I’ll experiment with something else, as poppy seeds are kind of an acquired taste.

These were really not difficult to make. The filling is quickly cooked for about 15 minutes (poppy seeds, raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, honey, butter and milk) until thick, and the dough is very close to being a classic tart dough (so, close to a pie dough but with an egg yolk and a little milk to bind it instead of water). You chill the dough, roll it out, cut it out into rounds, fill the rounds with filling and pinch them into the distinctive 3-sided shape.

The result was very tasty- and I’m happy to report that the cookie part is much more tender and flaky than the ones that have disappointed me in the past. However, it wasn’t until I finished this project and checked Instagram that I realized that hamantaschen falling open in the oven is an extremely common problem, and one that did not spare me. About 25% of my cookies looked a little mangled; you’ve really got to press those guys shut, and I suspect one last chill in the fridge once they’ve been formed wouldn’t hurt.

So here’s to trying your hand at something new- come December, I’m looking at you, latkes!

Hamantaschen

Category: Desserts

Servings: Makes about 20

Ingredients

    For the Dough:
  • 1 3/4 cups (250g) flour
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 or 3 drops vanilla extract
  • 5 oz. (150g) unsalted butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2-3 teaspoons milk, if necessary
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze
    For the Poppy Seed Filling:
  • 1 cup (150g) poppy seeds
  • 3/4 cup (175ml) milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons raisins
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt, sugar and vanilla extract. Cut the butter into pieces and rub it into the flour. Mix in the egg yolk and press into a soft ball. Work very briefly, adding a little milk if necessary to bind it. Wrap in plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator.
  2. For the filling, put the poppy seeds in a pan with the milk and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thick. Add the honey, sugar and raisins and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and butter and mix well. Let it cool.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 for easier handling. Roll out each piece on a flour surface with a floured rolling pin until it is 1/8-inch (3mm) thick. Cut into 3-inch (7 1/2cm) rounds with a pastry cutter. Take the scraps, roll out again and cut into rounds. Put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Lift up the edges on 3 sides and fold over the filling to form a triangular pyramid, pinching the sides together to seal them but leaving the top open. Arrange on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and brush with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven (375°F) oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Do not try to remove the pastries from the tray while they are hot, or they will crumble. Let them cool and lift them very carefully of with a spatula, because they are fragile.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/02/21/hamantaschen/