Have you ever made hamantashen before? One of the reasons we eat them on Purim is because they are said to resemble the triangular, 3-cornered hat that Haman wore. Trying to perfect the shape and keep the filling in might seem daunting, but I’m going to break it down for you with step-by-step pictures to make it easier.


Before you start

  • Always check that you have all your ingredients before you begin cooking.
  • Wash your hands.
  • Make sure your work space is clean. Move any papers or things that might be lying around out of the way so they don't get dirty or ruined.
  • Ask an adult to help you put the trays in and out of the hot oven.

For this recipe you will need:


Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • 2 tbsp. apple or orange juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 5 tbsp. cream cheese
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1½ cup flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • A few squares of chocolate
  • Colorful sprinkles
  • Nut crunch

Note: For non-dairy hamantashen, use non-dairy cream cheese, such as Toffutti.

Tools:

  • 1 mixing bowl
  • Mixer (optional)
  • 1 set of measuring cups
  • 1 rolling pin
  • 1 round cookie cutter or cup
  • 1 baking pan
  • 3 small bowls

Recipe yields approximately 20 hamantaschen

Step 1: Dough

Mix all the ingredients except the flour. Add the flour, a little at a time, until you have a nice soft ball of dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.


Step 2: Roll

Divide the dough into two pieces. Set one piece aside and roll the other piece out, so that it's about ⅛ inch thick.


Step 3: Cut

Using a circle-shaped cookie cutter, or the mouth of a glass, cut as many circles into the dough as you can fit.


Pull away the extra scraps of dough, and set them aside to be re-rolled and cut into more circles.


Step 4: Fill

Decide what you want to use. The most common fillings are strawberry and apricot preserves (jam), or poppy seed filling called mohn.

Spoon some filling into the center of each circle. It’s important not to go overboard with the filling—it makes the hamantashen hard to seal when there’s too much inside.


Step 5: Fold

This is the tricky part—getting the shape right.

Fold your cookies like this:


Once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze. Repeat until all your circles have been sealed.


Step 6: Bake

Place the hamantashen carefully on a greased pan. Leave some space between them. Ask an adult to help you put them into the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your hamantashen. The edges should be very slightly golden when they’re ready.

Warning: The filling gets extremely hot, so it’s best to wait 5-10 minutes before biting into them.

If you’re leaving the hamantashen plain, you can stop here. Let them cool, and dig in to your heart’s content.

If you’d like to dress them up a little, keep reading.


Step 7: Decorate

Melt some chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. Do this by heating the chocolate for 30 seconds, taking it out and stirring it, and then heating it for another 30 seconds. Repeat until it's fully melted.

Pour the sprinkles into another small bowl, and the nut crunch into another. You don't need a lot; we’ll just be dipping one corner of each cookie.

Dip one corner of each hamantasch into the chocolate, and let the extra chocolate drip off. While the chocolate is still wet, dip it into the sprinkles or the nut crunch (or both). Let it dry on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat until all your cookies are decorated.


Step 8: Eat 'em!

Well done! You've mastered the art of making hamantaschen. Ready to taste your creation?

Say this blessing...and take a bite!

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei minei mezonot.

Blessed are you L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, Who creates various kinds of sustenance.

Listen to the blessing

Share them with your friends and family, and help them say the blessing too.


Step 9: Clean up

Part of being a good cook is being a clean cook. Don't forget to wash the dishes and clean down the table or counter you've been working on.

Step 10: Save the recipe

If you enjoyed these, save the recipe for next time. Bookmark it, or print it. It will save you time in the future.

NOTE: To print the recipe without the images, click on the print icon and select "print without images."


Happy Purim!