Hamantaschen (Purim Cookies)

Classic three-cornered Purim cookies: a tender butter-and-orange cookie dough folded around apricot, poppy seed, prune or raspberry filling and baked until golden. Makes about 36.

Vegetarian

Contains: milk, egg, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

  • Prep 45 min
  • Cook 20 min
  • Total 2 hr 5 min
  • Yield About 36 cookies
  • Level Intermediate

Updated

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Three-cornered hamantaschen cookies with apricot, poppy seed and raspberry fillings

Hamantaschen are the cookies of Purim, folded into three corners and filled with jam or a traditional poppy seed or prune filling. They are baked by the dozen to give away in mishloach manot, the Purim gift baskets of food for friends and neighbors.

The secret to hamantaschen that keep their shape is cold dough and firm pinching. Chill the dough before rolling, use a thick filling, do not overfill, and chill the shaped cookies before they go in the oven.

Instructions

  1. Make the dough. Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg, orange juice, zest and vanilla and pulse just until the dough starts to clump. (By hand, cut the butter in with a pastry blender, then stir in the wet ingredients.)
  2. Chill. Press the dough into two flat disks, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
  3. Roll and cut. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk about 1/8 inch thick and cut out rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Reroll the scraps once.
  4. Fill and fold. Place a level teaspoon of filling in the center of each round; do not overfill. Brush the edge lightly with egg wash or water. Fold up three sides to make a triangle, leaving a little filling showing in the middle, and pinch each corner firmly.
  5. Chill again. Set the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets and refrigerate 15 minutes, so they hold their shape in the oven. Brush the dough lightly with egg wash if you like a shiny finish.
  6. Bake. Bake 16 to 20 minutes, until the edges and corners are light golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if you like.

Tips

  • Use a thick filling. Thin jam runs out in the oven; stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into runny jam, or use preserves or canned filling.
  • Pinch the corners hard, and fold them slightly over the filling so they do not spring open.
  • The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, or frozen for 3 months.

Storage and leftovers

Make ahead Freezer-friendly

Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months, or freeze the dough disks up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.

Questions about this recipe

Why do my hamantaschen open in the oven?
The dough was too warm, the corners were not pinched firmly, or there was too much filling. Chill the shaped cookies 15 minutes before baking and use a level teaspoon of filling.
What are the traditional fillings?
Poppy seed (mohn) and prune (lekvar) are the classics; apricot and raspberry jam are the most popular today.
Are hamantaschen dairy-free?
Not this recipe, which uses butter. For a dairy-free (pareve) version, use the same amount of cold vegan butter sticks or 2/3 cup vegetable oil.

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