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Paper Plate Hamantashen

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You can’t have Purim without Hamantashen!
These sweet paper plate Hamantashen are easy enough for preschoolers to make while waiting for the real ones to bake.
You will need:
  • a paper plate
  • tissue paper in the colour of your choice. (we picked orange!)
  • glue
  • brown crayon

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Start by colouring in the underside of your paper plate completely with the brown crayon.

Now spread glue across the inside of your paper plate, scrunch up little bits of tissue paper and stick them to the plate. This is your “filling”.

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The last step is to fold the round paper plate into a triangular shape, just like real Hamantashen. Make lots more and decorate your house with them. Have fun!

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Miri is a joyfully Jewish homeschooling mother of three and lives with her husband and children on the south coast of England. She blogs at herewearetogether.com

Paper Plate Purim Masks

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Purim is all about dressing up and having fun!
These fun masks are easy for children to customise themselves and with a bit of imagination you can dress up as absolutely anyone!

You will need:

  • A paper plate
  • scissors
  • ribbons
  • crayons
  • sticky gems or buttons

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Cut a mask shape into your paper plate. We left space for the nose and later added holes for the eyes.

Cut the top of the mask into the right shape for your costume. Rivka wanted to dress up as Queen Esther so we cut a crown shape into the top of the mask, but you can add horns or antennae, too..

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Now you just have to fill in the details and decorate your mask, we added shiny gems, eyebrows, eyelashes and a crown, but you could add an eyepatch, spots or glitter and feathers, too! Have fun! Chag Purim Sameach!

Miri is a joyfully Jewish homeschooling mother of three and lives with her husband and children [Read more…]

Almond Hamantaschen

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I’ve tried making Hamantaschen, the famous Purim cookies, many times and failed. This recipe is different. The key to good Hamantaschen is the almond meal, which we got from Trader Joe’s. If you can find it at Trader Joe’s, then stock up, because in our experience, it is seldom on the shelf. It lasts a while, so no worries about buying too much and having it go bad.
Of course, there are a ton of different fillings you can use. In this batch, we did Nutella, raspberry and blackberry. Almond paste, apricot and of course the traditional poppyseed are all terrific.
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup almond meal (can be found at Trader Joe’s in the nuts section, or grind down raw almonds)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 ounces (1 stick) softened butter (use margarine for a pareve version)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Cooking spray to grease cookie sheet
Filling of your choice (we used Nutella and different jams)
  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and almond meal)
  • In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and almond extract
  • Thoroughly combine the two mixes, until you have a soft dough formed
  • Break the dough into several managable size balls. (Tip: If the dough is too soft to work with, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 mins.)
  • On a well-floured board, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1⁄8-inch thickness. Have your filling, cookie cutter, and greased cookie sheet nearby
  • Use a cookie cutter (or small glass) to create circles about 4 inches in diameter
  • Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the circle (make sure not to use too much, or your hamantaschen will explode)
  • Fold in sides, and press dough to seal, creating two sides of a triangle. Then fold the bottom of the circle up to form the third side, leaving a little of the filling visible in the center
  • Place on the greased cookie sheet
  • Cutting circles leaves a lot of marginal dough, you’ll have to gather scraps in a ball and roll them out again
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown
  • Let hamantaschen cool before you remove them from the baking pan with a spatula

An important Purim tradition is to give mishloach manot, Purim gift baskets of food, to friends and family. Make sure to add these great treats to your holiday gifts! Happy Purim!

Sweet Noodle Kugel

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Noodle Kugel is a fruit-filled pareve ‘Lokshin’ dish that is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. This recipe is for Erin and Samara, Jessica and Stephanie. Please note that you can adjust the amount of fruit in the recipe, more or less, to suit your taste preferences.

Ingredients for Noodle Kugel

2-12 oz. packages of egg noodles, medium width
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Optional: sometimes I add a few sprinkles of onion powder to this mixture – for some reason, it seems to work
Fruit: (the amounts listed are approximate – you can use a bit more or less)

1/2 cup jumbo raisins
1 dozen dried apricots, coarsely chopped
8-10 pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
1 small can of mango slices, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup) retain about 1/4 cup of the juice
Optional: if you don’t like mangoes, replace them with bite-sized pieces of canned pineapple together with 1/4 cup of the juice from the can. You can also use canned peaches, pears, fruit cocktail or a handful of your favorite berries!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour half of the oil into a deep 9 x 13″ baking dish. You may need a second small baking dish to accomodate any surplus.

Prepare the fruit as indicated above.

Cook the noodles per package directions. Drain, cool down (pour cold water over cooked noodles and drain) and transfer to a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.

Once the noodles are cooled down, add the eggs and toss until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the remaining oil plus the juice from the canned fruit. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar, (and onion powder, if desired) to taste. Try a noodle and see if it is adequately seasoned.

Once all ingredients are blended and ready, transfer to prepared baking dish.

Take a look – the noodle kugel should be moist and somewhat liquidy when you press down, not dry. The kugel should be deep and dense, coming up quite high against the sides of the pan. If desired, brush a bit of oil over the surface of the noodles to enhance browning. Do not overstuff your baking dish – add any excess to a second small baking dish.

Comment: I find it useful to place the filled baking dish on top of a large flat baking sheet as it cooks – to avoid overcooking on the bottom.

Bake for 40-45 minutes using middle oven rack and check for doneness: golden brown surface and a somewhat firm centre. If it is not ready, bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Noodle Kugel can be refrigerated and served days later – in fact, it tastes better a day or two after baking.

Hamantashen: Four Delicious Recipes

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Hamantashen are triangular shaped cookies served at Purim. There are many ways to make the dough for these delicious pastries. Check the easy recipe ideas below and see if they appeal to you:

  • Cookie-Like Hamantashen
  • Oil-Based Hamantashen
  • Honey Hamantashen Dough
  • Cream Cheese Hamantashen

These four dough recipes are followed by simple recipes for prune and poppy seed fillings.

If you need to make a big batch for school, family or friends, the following recipe may come in handy. It comes from the website of Temple Beth Am of Rochester/Henrietta, New York.

Ingredients for Cookie-Like Hamantashen dough:

  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup margarine
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour/baking powder combination to sugar/margarine/eggs/OJ mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

Generously flour working surface and roll out dough. Cut into 2½ inch circles using a glass dipped in flour. Place a dollop of filling in middle of each circle. Shape into Hamentashen (3 points) by pinching edges together. Place on large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper leaving some space between cookies as they expand when baked. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Yield: Approximately 4-5 dozen

My preference for Hamamantashen comes from ‘A Treasure For My Daughter’, a wonderful Jewish cookbook originally published by Montreal Hadassah Wizo almost 60 years ago. This dough is made with oil and has a light orange taste.

Ingredients for Oil-Based Hamantashen Dough:

  • 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten, reserve one egg for wash
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • Juice and grated rind of 1/2 orange
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine two of the eggs with the sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture and knead until smooth. Roll out on floured board to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into circles with round cookie cutter or glass tumbler. Place a spoonful of filling in center of each. Draw up 3 sides to form a triangle, pinching edges together. Brush the third egg, well beaten, over the top of the pastries. Place cookies on baking sheets, no need to grease them. Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen

 

Hamentashen Honey Dough is another dough variation that is sweet and a slightly stiffer than the previous recipe. It comes from ‘The 2nd Kids’ Kosher Cookbook’ compiled by the parents of Associated Hebrews Schools in Toronto in 1992.

Ingredients for Honey-Based Hamantashen Dough:

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 cup shortening, softened (you may also use soft margarine)
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add shortening, eggs and honey. Mix together and knead to form dough. Divide into 4 equal parts and roll out one portion of dough at a time on a floured surface. Use the rim of a glass dipped in flour to cut out circles. Place filling in centre of each circle. Pinch 3 sides together to make a triangle. Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.

Yield: 30 hamentashen

 

A rich-tasting and delicious choice for this Purim treat is Hamentashen Cream Cheese Dough from ‘Second Helpings Please!’ published by Jewish Women International of Canada. This cookbook is a most reliable and trusted resource for the Jewish cook.

 

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Hamantashen Dough:

  • 1/2 lb. butter
  • 1/2 lb. cream cheese
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup icing sugar

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.

Cream the butter and cheese until smooth. Add flour and sugar, and mix well. Wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator overnight. Roll dough to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into rounds. Fill and shape by bringing sides together to form a triangle. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until delicately browned.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen

You can fill hamantashen with your favorite jams and preserves, pie filling or the traditional prune and poppyseed filling recipes below.

Prune Filling:

  • 1 lb. prunes, stewed, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup raisins, chopped
  • 1/4 up chopped nuts
  • 1/2 lemon, juice and rind
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. honey

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Note: When you prepare the prunes, you can combine or replace them with dried apricots, pears or dates.

Poppyseed Filling:

  • 1/2 lb. poppy seed
  • 4 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Soak poppy seed in boiling water and let it soak overnight. Drain and grind through a food chopped, using finest blade. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

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