The Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated with drinking, dancing and lots of eating. No Purim festivity is complete without hamantaschen, triangle-shaped cookies baked with different fillings. This not-overly-sweet cookie is one of our favorite Jewish desserts. Learn how to make it here.
What are hamantaschen?
Hamantaschen (pronounced huh-min-tah-shun) means “Haman’s pockets.” (The word is plural, so use hamantasch to refer to a single cookie.) These filled shortbread cookies can be enjoyed year-round alongside other traditional Jewish foods. Traditionally, they’re eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim, a celebration of the salvation of the Jewish people as described in the Book of Esther.
Some say that hamantaschen got their name from Haman’s legendary three-cornered hat. Others say the name was inspired by German mohntaschen, a poppy seed-filled triangular cookie. The aspect that everyone agrees on is that the pastry is named after Haman, the villain in the Purim story. He was a powerful official who ordered the killing of all the Jews in the kingdom of King Ahasuerus. But Esther, the Jewish queen, foiled his plot.
How to Make Hamantaschen
These gorgeous cookies look complicated, but they can be made in a few simple steps. First, prepare the filling. This hamantaschen recipe uses a homemade apricot filling. You can swap in a traditional poppy seed filling, fruit preserves or chocolate filling. Whatever you choose, just make sure that it has a thick consistency so it won’t spill out of the dough while baking.
Next, prepare the dough. It needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, so plan ahead. After chilling, roll out the dough, cut it into circles and add the filling. Then bake!
We’ll offer a few tips below to ensure the dough doesn’t crumble and the triangles stay closed while baking.
Ingredients for Hamantaschen Cookies
- Apricot filling: We make our apricot filling from scratch with dried apricots, water and sugar. Other fillings like poppyseed, prune and cherry are also common, and you can experiment with those as well. It’s easy to customize these cookies, so check out the variations section below for inspiration.
- Cake flour: This low-protein flour creates less gluten development, producing cookies with a tender crumb.
- Shortening: This cooking fat stays solid at room temperature and creates a flaky pastry dough. If you prefer to use butter or margarine, check out our ultimate guide to baking substitutions.
- Milk: For dairy-free hamantaschen, use nondairy milk like almond milk instead.
- Sugar: These cookies have a just-right level of sweetness from sugar. Sugar also helps cookies achieve their chewy texture and golden color.
- Eggs: Eggs are binding ingredients that hold the dough together. For the best results, use room-temperature eggs.
- Baking powder: Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar. It works as a leavening agent to give the cookies rise.
Directions
Step 1: Make the apricot filling
In a small saucepan, cook the apricots and water over low heat for 45 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the apricots are soft. Cool slightly.
Transfer the apricot mixture to a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Add the sugar. Cover and continue processing until blended. Set the filling aside.
Step 2: Make the dough
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the shortening with the milk. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the lemon extract.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the saucepan, and mix well.
Step 3: Refrigerate the dough
Cover and refrigerate the dough for four hours or until easy to handle.
Editor’s Tip: Chilling cookie dough solidifies the fat and makes the dough easier to work with. At room temperature, this dough can be a little too sticky to roll out.
Step 4: Roll out the dough
Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
Cut out rounds using a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter.
Step 5: Fill the cookies
Place 1 teaspoon apricot filling on the center of each round. Bring three edges of each dough round together over the filling, overlapping slightly. Pinch the edges gently. You should end up with a triangle shape, with a small portion of the filling showing in the center.
Editor’s Tip: Be careful not to overfill your hamantaschen. The cookies won’t seal properly if they have too much filling, and you’ll end up with blobs instead of triangles!
Step 6: Bake
Place the cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Make them without dairy: To make dairy-free hamantaschen, use almond milk instead of regular milk.
- Try a poppy seed filling: Poppy seed filling is a traditional choice for hamantaschen. You should be able to find the filling in the baking aisle at the grocery store. If not, look at a Jewish bakery or deli (and pick up a fresh kugel while you’re there!).
- Swap in another fruit: Apricot is just one type of filling for hamantaschen. Other popular fruit fillings include cherry, strawberry, raspberry and prune. You can use store-bought or homemade jam for these fillings. Just make sure the filling is thick enough that it won’t run.
- Make them chocolate-y: Instead of fruit preserves, use chocolate or Nutella for the filling. You can also dip the finished cookies in chocolate, give them a white chocolate drizzle or add cocoa powder to the dough.
Can you make hamantaschen in advance?
To make hamantaschen in advance, prepare the dough a day ahead of time. Wrap it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator. If the dough is difficult to roll out straight from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes.
How to Store Hamantaschen
Store hamantaschen in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Use a piece of parchment to separate each layer. Alternatively, you can freeze the hamantaschen for up to three months. Let thaw before serving.
Hamantaschen Tips
How do you keep hamantaschen dough from getting crumbly?
Add a bit of water to the hamantaschen dough to keep it from getting crumbly. Spritz the dough lightly with water, and wrap it tightly. Then let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. If the dough is too crumbly to handle or cracks when you roll it out, let it sit on the counter for a few extra minutes to warm up slightly.
How do you make sure hamantaschen stay closed?
Hamantaschen can open while they bake if they’re overfilled, so make sure not to add too much filling. You’ll also need to give each corner a good pinch when assembling the cookie. If you’re still having trouble with the cookies opening in the oven, try chilling the formed cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
