Some of you are die-hard purists, and won't stray from the Mohn Poppyseed or Prune Lekvar hamantaschen, but if you like to venture out into new territory, give these cheesecake hamantaschen a try. With a graham cracker crumb on the outside, and a cheesecake filling, these are not your average hamantaschen. I added a dab of strawberry or raspberry jam into some of them for a berry-cheesecake taste, and you could do the same with chocolate or blueberry or caramel.

To get the graham cracker crumbs on the outside, first I rolled the dough:

Sprinkled it with the crumbs.

Covered it with parchment paper and gently rolled over it to press the crumbs into the dough.

I flipped the dough over so the crumbed side is now on the bottom (and therefore the exterior of the hamantaschen), peeled off the top piece of parchment paper, and continued with the process.

If this is your first foray into hamantaschen, hop on over to my Mohn Poppyseed Hamantaschen recipe for a more comprehensive guide.

NOTE: For the smaller size, I used a regular drinking glass, and for the larger ones I used a wider mug. For the larger ones, you need to leave the dough a little thicker when rolling.

Also: If you'll be sharing these with others, make sure to indicate that they are dairy.

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 4 ½ cups flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 graham crackers

Filling Ingredients

  • 1 8-oz brick cream cheese
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Optional: ½ cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Instructions

  1. You can easily make this recipe with a spoon; no need to get out a mixer.
  2. Mix the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, and two cups of the flour. Mix until it resembles a thick batter. Add another two cups of flour and mix (with your hands this time) until the dough forms a soft (not sticky) ball. You may or may not need the additional half cup flour, do it by feel. If you add too much, the dough will be dry and crumbly and hard to work with.
  3. Crush the graham crackers into a fine crumb.
  4. Making the filling by mixing the cream cheese with the confectioners sugar and lemon juice (this does need a mixer).
  5. Place a sheet of parchment paper down. Roll out half the dough on the parchment paper. Sprinkle the dough with graham cracker crumbs. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and gently roll the rolling pin over the paper to press the crumbs into the dough. Flip the dough over (still between two sheets of parchment paper), so that the crumb side is facing down.
  6. Peel away the top sheet of paper and use a cookie cutter, mug, glass, or lid of a jar to cut circles. Remove excess dough and place a spoonful of cheesecake filling in the center of each round. Optional: In some or all, add a dab of jam.
  7. Fold up the sides to form the triangle shape and seal well.
  8. Repeat with the remaining dough, until all has been used.
  9. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12-15 minutes, depending on size.

Yields: 20-25