Purim gives you a great excuse to make these delicious cookies and dress up—what could be more fun?
Hamantaschen cookies are some of my favorites to make and eat—who doesn’t like a sugar cookie with a chocolate or jam filling?
These traditional cookies are generally baked as part of the Purim celebration. They are meant to mimic the three-point hat of Haman, the antagonist in the story who was ultimately run out of town by the heroes. If you want to learn more, I recommend watching Sesame Street’s video that breaks it down in just a few minutes (I also included some of their video in my video below).
Purim is celebrated by eating these fun three-point cookies and dressing up for a party. It’s like Halloween in the spring, and you know how much I love Halloween and dressing up!
If you want to join in on the fun, give these cookies a try. I really like this recipe from Tori Avey because it’s closer to a sugar cookie and not as bread-like as other versions I’ve tried. I’ve added a few alternative steps here that I use to help keep the filling and cookie shape intact.
Hamantaschen Cookies Recipe:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-5 teaspoons water (as needed)
- Filling: Thick jam or chocolate spread
Please Note: Only use really thick jams; otherwise, it will all leak out during the baking process.
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together well.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and orange zest.
- Sift or whisk together the flour and salt, then slowly stir into the mixture.
- Knead the dough lightly until a firm, smooth ball forms, adding water as needed to make it stick together (but not so much that it becomes sticky).
- Roll out the dough into 1/4-inch thick sheets, place them onto a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Once thoroughly chilled, cut circles out of the dough, approximately 3 inches in diameter.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of very thick jam or chocolate spread (like Nutella) in the center of each cookie.
- Create the hat shape by folding the dough: fold one side over, then the next side over the previous fold, and finally, fold the last side over the first. (Note: By the time you’re ready to fold, the dough should be warm enough to manipulate. If not, let it sit for a minute or two.)
- Pinch each corner well to avoid the filling leaking out during baking.
- Arrange the cookies on a lined baking sheet and chill for at least 30 minutes. This step is optional, but I’ve found it helps keep the cookie shape and filling in place while baking.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-25 minutes, until they are just slightly golden brown around the edges; start checking at 10 minutes.
Recipe Alternatives/Additions:
You can add some sprinkles or drizzle chocolate or warm peanut butter on top for a fun presentation. Feel free to get creative with the fillings—I’ve filled mine with fig jam, strawberry jam, raspberry jam, Nutella, chocolate and peanut butter, and even s’mores.
