This week, we’re gearing up for Purim. That means it’s all about Hamantaschen! But first, a little history.
The History of Purim
Purim is the celebration of Esther, Queen of Persia, who saved her Jewish community from genocide. Incidentally, it’s also the story of a successful intermarriage between a Jew (Esther) and a non-Jew (King Ahasuerus of Persia). I’m going to give you a brief summary of the story, illustrated by the paintings of several Dutch artists — apparently, the Purim story was a popular subject for Rembrandt and his contemporaries!
Imagine me telling you this story like Sophia Petrillo on the Golden Girls. It’s more fun that way. 🙂
Picture it—Persia, fifth century BC. In the ancient city of Shushan, King Ahasuerus banishes his queen, Vashti, for publicly disobeying him. The king then goes in search of another queen. He falls for Esther, a Jewish orphan who was raised in Shushan by her cousin Mordechai. Mordechai works under the King’s command, and once saved the King’s life from two servants who were plotting to murder him. Mordechai warns Esther to keep her Judaism a secret from the king, which she does.
Meanwhile, King Ahasuerus promotes Haman, the Agagite, to a high-ranking position in the palace, placing him above all other princes in the kingdom. Haman doesn’t like Jews… especially Mordechai, Esther’s cousin, because he refuses to bow down to Haman. Morally, Mordechai has no choice; bowing down to Haman is a clear violation of Jewish law. Haman takes his refusal to bow as a great insult, and because of this decides to exterminate all the Jews in the Persian Empire.
Esther finds out about the planned extermination, but she’s in a tough spot—she can’t plead her case with the king unless he asks for her to join him. The king hasn’t asked for her company in over a month; to go to him without being invited would be risking her life. Mordechai pleads with Esther to help her people. After three days of fasting, Esther bravely goes before the king and invites him to a feast she has prepared.
King Ahasuerus agrees to feast with Esther, not at all angered by her intrusion. In fact, he says, “Whatever you ask, Queen Esther, it shall be granted you, even to the half of my kingdom.” I’m thinking this Esther must have been quite a looker! Esther asks for Haman to join them at the feast as well. The king agrees to her request.
Side note here—I’ve often wondered why Esther doesn’t come right out and plead her case with the king. Instead, she invites him to feast with her for two nights in a row before bringing up the subject. Could it be that Esther knows a little something about the persuasive power of a fabulous meal?
After the first night of feasting, Esther invites the king and Haman back for another celebration the following evening. The king agrees. Meanwhile, Haman is plotting to execute Esther’s cousin Mordechai on a gallows built near the palace.
That evening, the king is reminded that Mordechai saved his life from two servants who were plotting to execute him. Mordechai was never rewarded for this. Concerned, the king calls Haman to his chamber and asks, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?”
Haman thinks to himself, “The king must be talking about me!” He tells the king to dress up the man in royal robes, with a royal crown, and parade him around the streets on his royal horse. The king agrees and tells Haman to coordinate all this for Mordechai. Haman is shocked and embarrassed, but does as he is told.
On the second night of feasting, the king is so pleased with Esther that he again tells her, “Whatever you ask, Queen Esther, it shall be granted you, even to the half of my kingdom.” At that point, Esther bravely reveals her Judaism, and tells the king that her people are about to be destroyed at the hands of Haman.
King Ahasuerus, angered that the Queen’s people are threatened, orders for Haman to be executed on the very same gallows he constructed for Mordechai. He then promotes Mordechai to a high ranking position in his court, and the Jews are protected by royal order. Mordechai is paraded around the streets in royal robes, and the Jews are saved because of Esther’s bravery.
In modern times, we celebrate Purim by giving to charity and helping others (tzedakah) and spending the day in celebration. It’s a really festive holiday. We put on costumes, party, and eat… what else? Hamantaschen!
The History of Hamantaschen
So obviously this no-goodnik Haman is considered a major villain in Jewish history (genocidal tendencies will get you that kind of reputation). One of the weirdest legends about Haman is that he wore a triangular hat everywhere he went. Hamantaschen cookies have three corners, just like Haman’s hat. Some people also think Haman had triangular pockets, since Hamantaschen literally translates from Yiddish as “Haman’s Pockets.” A more poetic perspective links the three corners of a Hamantaschen cookie to the three founding fathers of Judaism—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whatever the reason, it’s traditional to eat Hamantaschen on Purim… so eat them we must!
Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Executive Director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, kindly sent me his family’s favorite recipe for hamantaschen. Here is their mission statement:
Since 1988, the Jewish Outreach Institute has been a leader in the development of Jewish community-based outreach programming. Through our national conferences, publications and informational resources, JOI has helped foster the creation of scores of Jewish outreach programs from coast to coast. Our research has garnered national attention on the opportunities for including the intermarried in the Jewish community.
Cool, right? I’m all for promoting interfaith outreach. 🙂
Rabbi Olitzky told me he got this recipe from a religious school teacher who worked with him about 25 years ago when he was a congregational rabbi in West Hartford. It’s been his family’s favorite hamantaschen recipe ever since… and I can see why, it’s really yummy! The filling is so unique.
You should know that this recipe creates quite a bit of dough… I ended up with over 60 hamantaschen. Feel free to cut the recipe in half, unless you’re planning on sharing!
Note: Since writing this blog, I’ve found a better method for shaping hamantaschen. Before, I would roll the edges to prevent the cookies from opening/spreading during baking, but I have since found that folding into a pinwheel shape produces the prettiest results with the least amount of spreading. I have updated the instructions in the recipe below. If you have questions, please comment and let me know!
Recommended Products:
Rabbi Olitzky’s Chocolate Cream Cheese Hamantaschen
Ingredients
Hamantaschen Ingredients
- 5 cups flour
- 1 pound vegetable shortening, room temperature
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate chips
NOTES
Instructions
To Make Dough
- Mix all ingredients together until soft dough forms. The easiest way to do this is with a stand mixer.
- Knead the dough into a ball, place into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.
To Make Filling
- Cut the cream cheese into small chunks. Mix together all filing ingredients until well combined.
To Make Cookies
- Remove dough from refrigerator. If the dough has turned hard, allow to soften for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces. Pound each piece out, one at a time, then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a floured surface. The dough should be rolled quite thin, as cookies will puff up during baking.Note: As the dough warms it will become sticky. Keep your rolling pin lightly coated in flour to prevent it from sticking.
- Cut the dough into 3-4 inch circles. Place circles onto ungreased cookie sheet.
- Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking.
- 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. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.
- Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under– it creates a “pinwheel” effect. This method if folding is not only pretty– it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.
- Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape.
- Repeat this process for the remaining circles. When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, bake them on the ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes till cookies turn light golden brown. Remove the cookies from the pan and cool them on a wire rack. Cool the cookie sheet completely before making more cookies.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Special thanks to Rabbi Olitzky for his delightful Hamantaschen recipe!
Joyce says
Tori,
Love, love love your recipe! How far in advance can I make the dough before actually rolling out and filling? Can the dough be made a week ahead?
Thanks
Joyce
Rich says
Ok I have to ask…..about how long should these ingredients take to form the soft dough? I let it run in my stand mixer but even after a few minutes it was still a sticky mess. Does it actually form a dough that may be kneaded into a ball? Should I have left it to run in the mixer longer? My concern is that I don’t want to over mix the dough. We’re so excited to try these for my daughters Hebrew school tomorrow and I just can’t seem to get it right.
Tori Avey says
Rich, the dough is quite soft and somewhat sticky before it goes into the refrigerator. It shouldn’t be wet, but it won’t feel like a smooth dry dough… you have to refrigerate it to get it to the point that it can be rolled out. If it seems extremely wet and sticky you can mix in a bit more flour until it resembles the soft dough in the pictures (the pic of the dough inside the mixer). Hope that helps!
Kathy Paulsen says
Love the story of Ester! What an amazing wonderful woman! The cookies sound yummy too! I belong to the LDS Church! But have a love for all God’s Children!
Angie Allen says
Looking forward to making these for Sunday when my kids and grandkids will be here. We are LDS (Mormon) and love to celebrate stories from the scriptures. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
That’s great Angie! So happy you’re enjoying the traditions with your kids and grandkids.
Alyssa says
These sound delicious! Mine are in the fridge, and I just realized this recipe didn’t call for any eggs. All the other doughs do – just wanted to be sure I’m not missing something?
Tori Avey says
Alyssa, this particular dough does not call for any eggs. Enjoy!
Mabel M. says
can you use anything besides vegetable shortening? Also the pineapple?
Tori Avey says
Mabel, try one of my other recipes for the dough, neither of which contain shortening or pineapple juice. They can be found here: http://theshiksa.com/2012/03/01/how-to-make-perfect-hamantaschen/ Click on the links for Dairy Free Hamantaschen Dough and Buttery Hamantaschen Dough.
jessica says
Do you know if they need to be refrigerated because of the cheese filling?
Tori Avey says
Jessica, I don’t believe so because the filling is baked through… I’ve never refrigerated them and I haven’t had any problems, but if you want to be on the safe side refrigeration won’t hurt them.
Lee j says
Do these freeze well to make ahead ?
Laura Norman says
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Tori Avey says
Done Laura, thanks for subscribing!
Sara says
I just made the dough and reviewing the recipe I noticed above the photo of the unbaked cookie circles you indicate an ungreased pan but further down, under the photo of the completed but uncooked hamantaschen, it says lightly greased cookie sheet.
Tori Avey says
Hi Sara, sorry about that. Use an ungreased cookie sheet. I will update the post. Lightly greasing probably won’t hurt the cookies, but you don’t need to grease the pan.
Loreli says
I love the blog and the recipes. I made hamentachen for the 1st time and was so pleased. I’m gonna make another batch and try some of the other fillings. Thanks for sharing!
Ilke says
Love the story, wish there is more reaching out to the other religions and learning each other’s history. It looks very tasty. I like the shape.
Must be gone quickly!
metrodriver says
Your synopsis of The Purim Story is both, accurate and interesting. But the accompanying painted illustrations (By the post medieval Masters) make Queen Esther out to be variably like the images of Queen Victoria and Marie Antoinette (On both ends of the spectrum of good and evil.). It warms my heart to learn about an institution like JOI (Jewish Outreach Institute.) Also, your design of a Star of David made up of Hamantashen is fascinating.
Phil Goldwasser says
Kerry is a friend and member of my Synagogue in NJ. I will have to chat with him about cooking! I will try these next year.
Tori Avey says
Hi Mary Beth, so happy you like the blog! I’m very excited that the recipes are connecting with people from all different backgrounds. I will definitely be covering Challah after Passover, fresh baked challah is one of my all time favorite treats! 🙂
Mary Beth says
Hi Tori,
I am enjoying your website very much. As an Irish Catholic the history, recipes, etc are all new to me! I love learning about other cultures and religions. There is a picture of you with Challah and white bread that is captioned “Throw on the white bread bring on the Challah.” Do you have a recipe for Challah on your website anywhere? I would love to try it sometime.
Thanks
Mary Beth
Mary Beth says
PS Can’t wait for the cookbook!!
Tori Avey says
Awesome! Glad it worked out for you. 🙂
iEat DC says
OK, it went much better. I tweeted a photo with YOUR FILLING (twitter name is same, iEatDC), it’s delicious. This batch was made with some using the rolling method, some with a more folded-pocket strategy (instead of pinching), some with less filling, and rolling the dough thinner. I think the thinner dough made the biggest difference, because when the cookie puffs up while baking it wants to flower open. And the jammy/preserve ones are runnier, thus more prone to opening. Last night 90% of them opened, tonight was a complete 180.
Pretty or not, they are delicious.
ieatdc says
I’ve been having some serious issues with the cookies opening, and I’m trying your rolling method tonight. Even closing them pretty tightly and super pinching the corners hasn’t worked for me.
Tori Avey says
The rolling method should help. Also, make sure you’re not over-filling the cookies; sometimes when you put too much filling, it spreads during baking and pushes the triangle apart. Stick with 3/4 a tsp or less of filling and the rolling method. Let me know how it goes!