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Sweet & Savory Hamantaschen

Sweet & Savory Hamantaschen

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!