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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hamantaschen FAQs
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.
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.
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!
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.
More Jewish Recipes
If you're looking to make more Jewish recipes and desserts, these are some of my favorites:
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Hamantaschen
Equipment
- 3-inch cookie cutter
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.
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