Purim is right around the corner, so I am all but required to share a hamantaschen recipe. This year I’ve got not one, but TWO recipes for you, one sweet and one savory! If you aren’t familiar with hamantaschen, they are made for this holiday to symbolize the hat of Haman, the villain in the story of Purim. When it comes to the hamantaschen in my family, my Dad is the expert and always made them every year. Now that I live on my own, while I still go home to spend the holiday with family, I have finally started to make my own hamantaschen, too!
For the sweet version, I wanted to nod to the tradition of drinking on Purim, so I did a boozy dried fruit filling. Golden raisins, apricots, and currents get soaked in spiced brandy before they’re piled and baked into cookies! This combination was inspired by my Grandpa Larry, who absolutely loved dried fruit. The savory one is a hamantaschen version of one of my favorite snacks of all time: spanakopita. The dough is a tender shortcrust pastry, spiced with tangy sumac, and the filling is the traditional combination of spinach, feta, onion, and egg, with a little Aleppo pepper for sweet heat. These are great for hosting people for Purim! Serve the savory ones as an appetizer, and save the sweet ones for dessert. Happy Purim!
Boozy Apricot, Raisin, and Currant Hamantaschen
Servings: 32 cookies
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest about the zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup diced dried apricots
- ⅓ cup red currants
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 4 ounces brandy plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice about the juice of 1 orange
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder until well combined and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add zest to sugar, and mix well. (The sugar helps release essential oils from the zest and helps prevent it from clumping in the dough.)
- In another large bowl, whisk eggs very well, about 1 minute, then add vegetable oil and whisk again until well combined, about a minute more. Add sugar and whisk vigorously for another minute or so. Finally, add dry ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to mix and fold together until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
- Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and use clean hands (or pull up edges of plastic wrap) to press dough into a rough disc shape. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days before using.
- While dough chills, make the filling. Combine dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves, 4 ounces brandy and orange juice in a small saucepot over medium low heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until fruits are plumped and liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat.
- Place half the filling in a food processor along with 2 tablespoons of brandy and mix on high until smooth and spreadable, 30 second to 1 minute.
- Store fillings in airtight containers in refrigerator until ready to use.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line 3 sheet pans with parchment paper. (If you don’t have 3 sheet pans or 3 racks in your oven, bake in batches.)
- Remove dough from refrigerator, divide in half, then place one half back in refrigerator.
- Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out as many circles of dough as possible. Place on prepared pans as tightly as possible without overlapping (I can usually fit 12 per pan), then gather, reroll, and cut scraps until all dough has been used. Place 1 teaspoon of each filling in the center of each circle, processed fruits first, then whole fruits on top. Shape hamantaschen into traditional triangle shape by gently lifting three sides of each round until they join over the filling with a 1 inch hole in the center. (If the dough round were a clock, imagine lifting at 10, 2, and 6.) Pinch joined edges of dough together until very well sealed, leaving a ½- inch hole of visible filling in the middle.
- Place in oven and bake until barely golden around the edges, 10-12 minutes. Rotate racks top and bottom, and front to back, half way through baking time, especially if baking in a standard oven.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Spanakopita Hamantaschen
Servings: 32 cookies
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- ¼ – ⅓ cup ice water
For the Filling
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 12 ounces frozen spinach defrosted and squeezed dry
- ½ cup minced onion about 1 small onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ½ cup crumbled feta about 3 ounces
- 2 eggs divided
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons sumac
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add flour, salt, and sumac to a food processor and pulse until evenly combined, 3-4 times. Add vegetable shortening and pulse 3-4 times, or until shortening is coated in flour and is in large, 1-inch pieces. Drizzle ¼ cup ice water evenly over top of mix, then pulse 3-4 times again. Flour should be moistened and in large crumbles/clumps. If there are still dry pockets, add additional tablespoons of ice water and pulse until this consistency is reached.
- Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and use clean hands (or pull up edges of plastic wrap) to press dough into a rough disc shape. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days before using.
- While dough chills, make the filling.
- In a small skillet over medium low heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute for 4-6 minutes, or until onions are soft and barely golden at the edges. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, or until aromatic. Add to spinach and stir, cooking until well combined and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Place in a medium bowl and set aside to cool. (This mix can be refrigerated to accelerate cooling.)
- Once cooled, add feta, spices, lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well, then add 1 egg and mix again until fully incorporated. Place in refrigerator to chill while you roll out the dough.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line 3 sheet pans with parchment paper. (If you don’t have 3 sheet pans or 3 racks in your oven, bake in batches.)
- Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl well as egg wash and set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a well floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Rotate dough to check for sticking after every other roll for best results.
- Using a 4 inch round cutter, cut out as many circles of dough as possible. Place on prepared pans as tightly as possible without overlapping (I can usually fit 12 per pan), then gather, reroll, and cut scraps until all dough has been used.
- Dip a clean finger into egg wash and wet around the edges of all dough rounds.
- Remove filling from refrigerator and place 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each dough round. Next, shape hamantashen into traditional triangle shape by gently lifting three sides of each round until they join over the filling with a ½-inch hole in the center. (If the dough round were a clock, imagine lifting at 10, 2, and 6.) Pinch joined edges of dough together until very well sealed, leaving a ½- inch hole of visible filling in the middle.
- Brush exposed dough with egg wash and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until dough is barely golden. Rotate racks top and bottom, and front to back, half way through baking time, especially if baking in a standard oven.
- Allow hamantashen to cool on pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.
