Hamantaschen Recipe
My hamantaschen recipe takes less than an hour and makes 3 dozen cookies. Give it a try! Usually served during the Jewish holiday of Purim, this sweet and festive dessert is colorful and can be customized with all of your favorite flavors.
Baking is one of the best ways to come together with your family during the holidays. Personally, I think that there is no better way to celebrate! And with Purim right around the corner, this is the perfect time to share my homemade hamantaschen recipe.
A traditional Purim treat, hamantaschen cookies have been around for centuries. This sweet’s tell-tale triangle shape is said to represent the hat of Haman, a figure in the Purim story.
The delicious filling is exposed, making it a rather festive and colorful treat as well. And I do recommend using a variety of fillings for festive, colorful cookies. Check out the video below to see how to make these!
Consider also trying my maamoul recipe! This tasty sweet is another common Purim dessert, and is also often served during Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah as well. Buttery and tender, they are sure to be a crowd-favorite.
INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Dough – In addition to water, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, we’ll use:
- Eggs – A very important ingredient to add structure and flavor to the cookie. Have another egg on standby if you decide to give your cookies an egg wash.
- Oil – I use oil instead of butter in this hamantaschen recipe. This makes the dough easy to handle and mold. Use a flavorless vegetable oil, like corn or canola oil.
- Vanilla – A flavor enhancer that you’ll want to use with a light hand.
- Orange Zest – For a delicious citrus aroma and flavor. I use zest rather than juice so that the dough does not have too much moisture. A touch of juice for a stronger flavor could be used, but don’t overdo it.
- Filling – There are a few delicious fillings that you can choose from, so I won’t specify just one. Some popular options are:
- Apricot Jam – Tart and not too sweet.
- Strawberry Jam – Use preserves for a stronger strawberry flavor! Refreshing, bright, and sweet.
- Nutella – A less traditional choice of filling, though rich and pairs well with the orange notes in the cookie.
- Poppy Seed Filling – A very traditional fruity, nutty filling also known as mohn paste.
HOW TO MAKE MY HAMANTASCHEN RECIPE
Prepare the Dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer whisk eggs and sugar until blended. Add the oil and whisk for another minute. Add the water, vanilla, and orange zest and mix well. Follow with the baking powder, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Use a spoon or spatula to mix, folding the ingredients until the dough begins to form. Finally, add the rest of the flour to the mixture and fold together until the dough is completely formed. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat. Set your oven to 350°F.
Cut the Dough. Smooth and flatten with a rolling pin until it is ¼” thick. Cut circles out of the dough, then roll up the scraps into another ball and repeat the process. You should end up with about 3 dozen circles.
Fill and Form the Cookies. Dollop a teaspoon of your choice of jam or spread in the center of each circle. Form the triangle shape by taking up three edges of the circle and pinching them together firmly on each corner. The filling should be exposed.
Bake. Place your triangles on a cookie sheet (you could brush with an egg wash, but that is optional) and bake for 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
What are hamantaschen cookies made of?
My hamantaschen recipe consists of flour, water, salt, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil. Orange zest is also added to the dough for a bright citrus flavor.
Filling-wise, you can really be creative and use the flavors you enjoy the most. Apricot jam and poppy seed filling are most traditional.
How do I keep the corners of my hamantaschen cookies from splitting?
After filling, but before baking, brush the sides and corners of the cookie with an egg wash. This should help them keep their shape while baking in the oven.
What does “hamantaschen” mean?
It took a long time for this name to come about! This delicious snack was called oznei Haman, or “Haman’s ears” long ago. Eventually, the name was combined with the German words “mohn” and “taschen”, meaning “poppy” and “pocket.”
What do hamantaschen cookies taste like?
This is a sweet, delicate cookie. The dough has a subtle orange flavor and is mildly sweet. The cookie itself is more of a vessel for the delicious filling inside! As I’ve said before, this is where you can get creative and use your favorite jam or other filling.
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Hamantaschen Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Fillings
- 12 oz Apricot jam OR
- 12 oz Strawberry jam OR
- 12 oz Nutella chocolate spread OR
- 12 oz Poppy Seed filling
Instructions
Dough
- In a large bowl or stand mixer whisk eggs and sugar until blended. Add oil and whisk for a minute, it should thicken. Whisk in water, vanilla and orange zest. Add baking powder, salt and 2 cups of flour, mixing with spoon or spatula until the dough starts to come together. Stir in remaining 2 1/5 cups flour and mix until dough forms and there is no dry flour. Cover and refrigerate for an 30 minutes.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, and using a cup or 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Gather dough scraps and roll them out again and repeat cutting circles for about 3 dozen.
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. Bring up the 3 corners and pinch dough firmly together to form a triangle, allowing filling to be exposed. Place on cookie sheet. (See Note 1)
- Bake for 15-17 minutes and bottom is golden. Let cool on wire rack.
Video
Notes
- To ensure the corners from not splitting you can use an egg wash. After forming the Hamantaschen cookies with the filling, brush all sides and corners of each cookie before baking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can I freeze dough? How long can you leave dough in fridge?
Yes you can freeze the dough for a few weeks. Defrost completely before making to bake.
Light, flaky and delicious love them. They were so tender, great pastry!
I couldn’t agree more, the best tender pastry and the flavor adds are endless. Thanks Dave!