Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen (אוזני המן): triangular Purim cookies filled with poppy seed or date
In Israel these are called oznei Haman, 'Haman's ears', and in the weeks before Purim every bakery from Tel Aviv to Be'er Sheva fills its windows with them, while families bake trays at home to pack into mishloach manot gift baskets. A short, lightly orange-scented dough is folded into a three-cornered pocket around a filling of poppy seeds cooked with milk and honey, or a quick date paste. They should be crisp at the edges and tender in the middle. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thin or overfilling, which makes the corners spring open in the oven. Chef's tip: chill the shaped cookies for 15 minutes before baking so the corners keep their sharp pinch.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 ½ oz buttersoft
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp orange zestfinely grated
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 10 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the poppy seed filling
- 4 oz ground poppy seeds
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 oz raisinschopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For glazing
- 1 eggbeaten with 1 tbsp water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cream 4 ½ oz butter and 3 ½ oz caster sugar until pale, then beat in 1 egg, 1 tsp orange zest and 2 tbsp orange juice.
3 minStep 2: Mix in 10 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt to a soft dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: For the filling, simmer 4 oz ground poppy seeds, ¾ cup milk, 3 tbsp honey and 1 oz raisins in a small pan over a low heat, stirring, until thick and the milk is absorbed. Stir in 1 tsp lemon zest and cool.
10 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays. Roll the dough 4 mm thick on a floured surface and cut 7 cm circles, re-rolling scraps once.
Step 5: Put 1 level teaspoon of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up three sides to form a triangle, overlapping the edges at the corners, and pinch firmly so a little filling still shows in the centre.
Step 6: Chill the shaped cookies on the trays for 15 minutes, then brush lightly with 1 egg.
15 minStep 7: Bake for 13–15 minutes, until pale golden at the edges and firm. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them.
14 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hamantaschen take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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