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    Home » Recipes » Jewish

    Hamantaschen & 3 Unique Fillings

    Published: Feb 1, 2021 Modified: Feb 1, 2021 by Candice

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Triangle cookie with yellow filling.
    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.
    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.
    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.
    Triangle jam cookies.
    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.
    Triangle cookies in a pattern.
    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.

    Hamantaschen are traditionally made for the holiday of Purim, which usually falls in March of the year on the solar calendar. They are instantly recognizable by their triangle shape, folded dough, and sweet filling. My recipe makes a not-so-classic hamantaschen dough and gives you three amazing options for the filling: citrus curd, Nutella, and fruit paste.

    Triangle cookies in a pattern.
    TABLE OF CONTENTS hide
    1 Why this Recipe Works
    2 Ingredients & Fillings
    3 How to Make this Hamantaschen
    4 Hamantaschen FAQs
    5 More Jewish Recipes
    6 Hamantaschen

    Why this Recipe Works

    Usually, hamantaschen dough is quite dry. This is because you need the dough to keep it's structure without collapsing. The dough in this recipe is more like a delicious sugar cookie, and the trick is cooking them at a higher temperature, with the filling inside to help it keep it's structure.

    Instead of using a runny or wet jam, one of the fillings in this recipe is a fruit paste. The thicker fruit filling keeps the filling inside the cookie without running out.

    The three fillings in this recipe (fruit paste, Nutella, and curd) are not traditional but make very delicious hamantaschen. Make them for your friends and family, and I promise they will be pleasantly surprised!

    Ingredients & Fillings

    Ingredients with cookies that have a filling.

    fruit paste - guava paste, fig paste, or quince paste are all delicious choices. The benefit of using the paste instead of jam is that the firmness keeps the filling from running.

    lime curd - you can use any curd you like in this recipe. I have used lime curd, lemon, and yuzu curd in these. You can buy curd pre-made in the jelly aisle of your grocery store or make your own.

    How to Make this Hamantaschen

    Whisk together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat ¾ cup of unsalted butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes.

    Add the egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, then beat on high speed for 1 minute. Turn the mixer down to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until combined. The dough should be soft, but not too sticky to roll. Add a spoon of flour if necessary.

    Cookie dough in a bowl.

    Divide the dough into two parts. Place each part on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Top each with another piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

    Dough rolled out between parchment paper.

    Note: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape them into discs about 1 inch thick, and seal in a sealable air-tight bag. Thaw until pliable, then continue with the recipe.

    Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. When soft enough to form into the triangles, add 2 teaspoons of filling to the center of each circle.

    Cookie dough with a dollop of filling.

    Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle. Each side of the cookie should have a corner that folds under and another that folds over. (See photos in post.) Pinch the corners together neatly so that they form a point.

    Triangle cookies on a baking sheet.

    Refrigerate the cookies on the pans for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 395F. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just barely getting golden.

    Colorful triangle cookies.

    Cool on a wire rack completely before serving.

    Hamantaschen FAQs

    What are they?

    Hamantaschen are small triangle shaped cookie-pastries, made from a vanilla dough folded inwards to make a small nest in the center for a filling to be placed. They are a Jewish dessert made for the holiday of Purim. Classic Hamantaschen contain poppy seeds and have a fruit filling, but you can fill them with whatever you like.

    What does "Hamantaschen" mean?

    In the Book of Esther, a villain named 'Haman' intended to kill the Jewish people, but was thwarted and the holiday of Purim thus celebrates the saving of the Jewish people. His name lends itself to the 'haman' in Hamantaschen. The latter part has a few interpretations, the most common stating that 'tash' or 'taschen' means pocket, to indicate the folding of the dough to make a pocket. Another interpretation is that 'tash' in Hebrew means 'weaken' or 'weakening', referring to the weakening of the villain Haman.

    Why are they triangular?

    For the shape of Hamantaschen, some say the triangle shape represents Haman's hat, which had three corners. Some say the triangle shape represents Haman's ears, to signify how Haman's ears were cut off before hanging for his crimes. On a more practical note though, the triangle shape does a stellar job of holding in the filling!

    What is the best thickness for sugar cookies?

    In my opinion, the ideal sugar cookie dough is ¼" thick. At this thickness, you can shape the dough and get a perfect bake. Any thinner and you'll have a really crispy cookie that will likely burn if left too long.

    Triangle cookie with fruit filling.

    More Jewish Recipes

    If you're looking to make more Jewish recipes and desserts, these are some of my favorites:

    • Lime Curd Sufganiyot | Dairy-Free
    • Pizzataschen
    • Challah
    • Apple Slab Olive Oil Cake

    ★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★

    I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

    Triangle cookies in a pattern.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Hamantaschen

    My Hamantaschen recipe makes a not-so-classic Hamantaschen dough and three amazing fillings: citrus curd, Nutella, and fruit paste.
    Prep Time2 hrs
    Cook Time12 mins
    Resting Time2 hrs
    Total Time4 hrs
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Jewish
    Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
    Servings: 18 cookies
    Calories: 162kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Silicone baking mat
    • 3-inch cookie cutter
    • Mixer (hand or stand)

    Ingredients

    Dough

    • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1.5 sticks)
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 1 egg at room temperature
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Filling

    • curd
    • Nutella
    • fruit paste

    Instructions

    • Whisk together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat ¾ cup of unsalted butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes.
    • Add the egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, then beat on high speed for 1 minute.
    • Turn the mixer down to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until combined. The dough should be soft, but not too sticky to roll. Add a spoon of flour if necessary.
    • Divide the dough into two parts. Place each part on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Top each with another piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
    • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
    • Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    • When soft enough to form into the triangles, add 2 teaspoons of filling to the center of each circle.
    • Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle. Each side of the cookie should have a corner that folds under and another that folds over. (See photos in post.) Pinch the corners together neatly so that they form a point.
    • Refrigerate the cookies on the pans for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 395F.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes until just barely getting golden.
    • Cool on a wire rack completely before serving.

    Notes

    The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape them into discs about 1 inch thick, and seal in a sealable air-tight bag. Thaw until pliable, then continue with the recipe.
    This recipe only works with room temperature butter. Please do not use melted or firm butter.
    ** Nutrition facts for this recipe are per cookie and do not include the filling.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @ProportionalPlate or tag #ProportionalPlate on Instagram! I'd love to see what you're making!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Riki Leavitt

      March 16, 2022 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful recipe! I converted into metric since I like to weigh my ingredients, added half a scraped vanilla bean into the dough, but otherwise followed everything. These are extremely tender and comforting. The dough was very easy to work with.

      Reply
      • Candice

        March 16, 2022 at 1:42 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them, Riki... I really appreciate you taking the time to share. Chag sameach!

        Reply
    2. yona_girl

      March 13, 2022 at 7:47 am

      5 stars
      This is the easiest and tastier recipient for hamantashen! We did it together with my little 4 yo boys. I didn’t have time to make the filling so I bought ready form our local shoprite poppy seed mix. The boys used Hershey kisses instead.
      I’m actually going to make another batch to share with our neighbors children.
      I wish I could post a picture of our hamantashen

      Reply
      • Candice

        March 13, 2022 at 8:49 am

        I'm so glad you and your son liked them! Thank you for sharing... chag sameach!

        Reply

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