Hamentashen are cookies filled with delightful fillings. These are delightful cookies you can fill with anything your heart desires. These triangle shaped cookies are traditionally filled with poppy seeds, prune preserves, apricot preserves. I have typically with a bunch of other ladies fill these with strawberry preserves, apricot preserves, and chocolate chips. I can honestly say out of all of the cookies in my life, I have made this particular recipe more than any other in my life.
Hamentashen are triangle-shaped cookies filled with the most delightful ingredients. They traditionally contain poppy seeds (the oldest and most traditional Hamentashen variety), prune preserves, or apricot preserves. With a bunch of other ladies, I have typically filled them with strawberry preserves, apricot preserves, or chocolate chips. But really, the center can be anything your heart desires. I’m particularly fond of apricot Hamentashen. I can honestly say that out of all of the many cookies in my life, I have made this particular cookie recipe more times than any other.
The History of Hamentashen
Hamentashen are usually made in the early spring to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Purim. These cookies are named after Haman, the villain in the Purim story as described in the Book of Esther. In fact, these cookies are often known as Haman’s Ears and they are supposed to symbolize this defeated enemy of the Jewish people. Knowing the story behind these cookies makes them even more fun and interesting to make and share. You can read more about the history behind these traditional cookies by clicking here.
The Hamentashen Dough
If your dough is coming out crumbly, try adding a little more oil or some egg. My recipe is designed to be parve, so if you want your cookies to be parve, you cannot use butter.
Family Traditions
There is something fabulous about holiday traditions, so you may have a different Hamantashen recipe handed down to you from your Great Great Grandmother. For instance, some Hamantash are made with yeast and are much more breadlike. Other recipes add orange and lemon zest. My Russian family wouldn’t consider these real Hamentashen because they are sweet and aren’t filled with poppy seeds or prunes. However, whatever your tradition, when it comes to Hamantashen, it’s all good! For more Hamentashen recipes, click here.
Traditional Holiday Cookies
I also wonder if you have any cookies that you make at certain times of the year? I know for me the holidays are never complete without Seven Layer Cookies. Here are a few more Jewish holiday recipes for you to enjoy
Blueberry Pecan Rugelach Seven Layer – “AKA” Hello Dolly Cookies
Cheese BlitzHamentashen – Cookies for Spring
Ingredients
Instructions
Roll out on a floured surface the thickness of the cookies should be about 1/4 of an inch, and using a round cookie cutter cut out circles. Place circles onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. You can fit about 12-15 cookies on each sheet. Fill with the filling of your choice. Fold into triangles, pinch together the corners. Brush the unbaked hamentashen with an egg wash which can be made using 1 egg and a tablespoon of water, beaten with a fork to combine.Yield: 4 1/2 dozen
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the cookies just begin to turn golden brown.Nutrition
Maskit Moalam says
February 22, 2013 at 2:55 pmmy dough is coming out crumbly any advice?
Stephanie Manley says
February 22, 2013 at 3:08 pmI would add a little more oil to the dough if it is a little crumbly, your other option is to add some egg.
sweetpea123 says
February 12, 2013 at 9:30 amCan I use butter in place of the oil?
Stephanie Manley says
February 12, 2013 at 12:12 pmThis recipe is designed for oil so the cookies will be parve. I have not tested the cookies for using butter.
Rachael says
March 13, 2011 at 5:20 pmDo you use all 4 eggs in the dough or 3 in the dough and 1 for the egg wash?
Stephanie says
March 16, 2011 at 3:46 am3 eggs to into the recipe, 1 egg goes into the egg wash.
Steve says
March 4, 2011 at 4:22 amThey remind me of my Grandma’s date filled cookies which I loved.
Deborah says
March 3, 2011 at 10:26 amThis is my preferred recipe as I have dairy allergies and my husband is diabetic. This cookie combines the best of both worlds for us. I use low sugar cherry, raspberry & apricot jam/preserves in mine. We love Hametashen!
Stephanie says
March 3, 2011 at 4:52 pmIt is nice that this recipe is parve, if you watch which chocolate chips you buy, you can make them with chocolate chips.
Stephanie says
October 14, 2010 at 6:02 pmLora! – I was just going to leave the same comment as we just finished the Esther study by Beth Moore. What a wonderful coincidence! They were delish!
julea says
March 11, 2010 at 8:02 pmreceipe vary depending on what is available when you are making it and the quality of the fruit or the seedamd the diet restrictions if the peop;e eatomgb ot there d sno wrong receipe you make to your taste what is available and the humidity and temperature you bake at.
C says
March 11, 2010 at 4:40 amIt looks alright, but you’re missing a few key ingredients. Where is the orange & lemon zest? they’re supposed to be citrusy cookies! (trust me, I have a recipe handed down from my great great jewish grandmother!). There is supposed to be zest & juice in the dough! 🙂
Stephanie says
March 11, 2010 at 12:18 pmI have seen some Hamentashen recipes that do include orange and lemon zest, all do not include it. Some are made with yeast and are far more bread like. I think your cookies handed down to you by your grandmother had the extra touch of citrus, but this recipe didn’t have that in there. My Russian family wouldn’t consider these real Hamentashen because they are sweet and these aren’t filled with poppy seeds or prunes. There is something fabulous about family traditions they are all wonderfully different. Why not share your recipe, I would love to try those cookies out.
Fran says
February 21, 2010 at 7:42 pmNice Hamentashen. I’m particularly fond of apricot Hamentashen — and Rugelach for that matter.
Lora says
February 21, 2010 at 6:56 pmI know these! They’re Hamen Ears. I led a Beth Moore study last summer on Esther and the recipe for these cookies was in the back of the study book. I made these cookies for the ladies who attended…they were wonderful and easy to make. Telling the story behind the cookies made them even more fun to make and share. Thanks for sharing this recipe…I think I’ll make some again this spring!