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.