So I know that St. Patrick’s day is the holiday that reigns supreme over March and I seriously considered posting some type of spinach recipe to honor the green food tradition but then I thought of another less celebrated holiday in March. The Jewish celebration of Purim. It is posted on many calendars but what is this holiday?
Purim is a celebration honoring the biblical figure of Esther. If this is a story you are unfamiliar with I would definitely find a Bible and read the short book of Esther. It is a beautiful story of how God uses the most unlikely to carry out His plan. And also how He gives us the strength to do what we view as impossible. Definitely one of my favorite books in the Bible so you should check it out!
Anyways back to Purim and the recipe I have here. In the Jewish celebration of Esther they make “Haman’s Hat” cookies or “Hamentshen” which are suppose to resemble a tri folded hat Haman may have wore in biblical times. These cookies are fantastic. I am partial to the Food Network recipe provided here. The addition of citrus to the dough adds an amazing depth of flavor. For the filling, apricot is my personal favorite but and jam will do! You can even fill them with Nutella and this dietitian will not judge!
I hope you enjoy these cookies and maybe learned a little about another early spring holiday other than St. Patrick’s day!
Hamentashen
Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Raspberry or apricot preserves, or your favorite!
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and both juices until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until a sticky dough is formed.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk and chill overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5. Working with about one quarter of the dough at a time and leaving the remaining in the refrigerator, roll on lightly floured surface a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Cut circles (or other fun shapes) using cookie cutters 2 1/2 to 3 inches.
6.Place a spoonful of filling in center (about 1 teaspoon per cookie) and then pinch one side up. Turn and pinch second and then third to make a triangular shape. Leave a little bit of the filling showing at the top. For non-traditional shapes, use your imagination: tubular, squares, bite-size or even
Recipe adapted from Food Network