Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Hamantaschen
Last week, Jews around the world celebrated a holiday called Purim.
In many ways, it has become a children's holiday (complete with children dressing up in costumes and going out to homes for treats of candy and other sweets - a celebration, by the way, totally unrelated to Halloween) but the holiday has a grim, adult theme - the undoing of a villain called Haman, who tried to get all of the Jews living in his country killed by their King. The story is told in the Old Testament Book of Esther.
It is said that Haman wore a three cornered hat, and one of the delights of Purim are three cornered foods, among them a cookie called hamantaschen.
As a college student, I would hand make hamantaschen each year. The dough, traditionally, should have an orange taste to it. The filling, in my family's tradition, was prune (lekvar) but as I was not a fan of prunes (and I'm still not), my choice was poppyseed.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of filling recipes available online, if you are so inclined. Some are not at all traditional.
Candy cane? Peanut butter and chocolate? Cheese and onion? Why not?
I haven't made hamantaschen in many years, so I don't have a picture of this triangular filled cookie to show you, but this recipe sounds a lot like the recipe I used to make.
Maybe one day, I'll start to bake again.
I was hoping to join Bellybytes at Mumbai on a High and Shilpa Gupte at Metanoia for their linky party at #FlavoursomeTuesdays but I'm not feeling the greatest right now, so, perhaps next month.
Do you have a favorite holiday recipe - any holiday?
9 comments:
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My grandmother made prune and poppy, but the ones I find in the stores these days are also raspberry and apricot, and sometimes chocolate
ReplyDeleteWell, my hamantaschen tasted great (poppyseed, apple, and chocolate), but were a visual nightmare...
ReplyDeleteGood thing my stomach cares not!
I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. Intrigued by those cookies. Googling!
ReplyDeleteI so love the story of Esther. I don't think I could have her courage!
My mother used to make Hamantaschen and it was always a treat. I haven't made it myself, though. I should give it a try.
ReplyDeleteToo bad you aren't baking, but I'm sure you'll get back to it eventually :)
ReplyDeleteI love hamantaschen and poppyseed only! I deliberated this year to make or not but I did not because I knew I would eat the most and I am not eating sugar. I have a can of poppyseed in my pantry not getting any fresher but I feel the shelf life is OK. My niece, not living close to me, made a batch for her family with various fillings besides the poppyseed including marshmallow and coconut! I am drooling now!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I developed a new recipe for Chocolate Berry Cream Cheese Hamantaschen and it's still a favorite around my house.
ReplyDeleteHamentaschen are kind of like kolačky, a Polish cookie. There's probably not that much difference between them. I'm not Jewish or Polish (Mary's Lithuanian with a Polish last name), but I like cookies...
ReplyDeletePoppy seed is my favorite for hamentaschen. Apricot comes in second. I also like poppy seed strudel.
ReplyDelete