Dates Purim Cookies Recipe – Dates Filled Purim Cookies
A Purim party is incomplete without Purim cookies and these dates Purim cookies are an absolute addiction. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for festive Purim cookies also called hamentaschen or oznei haman are filled with naturally sweet dates and pecans then folded in a shortbread cookie dough to get a traditional triangle shape.
Dates Purim Cookies aka Date filled Purim cookies – Jewish Cookies Recipe
The festival of Purim is almost here in a week, so you can imagine how excited the kid is. Usually, festivals are all about family but with Purim, the kids are all about costumes, parades, gift baskets, and of course these Purim cookies are everywhere in plenty.
Purim cookies have evolved over the year from being just filled with traditional poppy seeds to unlimited new modern variations like the Chocolate, Nutella, apricot and other fruit fillings. I love making these but not necessarily with traditional fillings. These dates Purim cookies are Ziv’s favorite and I make them every single year along with some strawberry (which I plan to share with you tomorrow).
I have previously shared Purim cookies with you (see link below) and while this is quite similar in shape and technique, the cookie dough is different. You know I love experiments and making new recipes all the time so these are quite similar to shortbread cookies with that melt in the mouthfeel unlike the traditional butter cookie dough.
Dates Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman Cookies
It’s all about the costume
If you haven’t figured it out yet? Purim is all about the costumes. This year Aadi plans to dress like a scary clown and Rhea wants to be an Indian Princess. Well, she actually has a pretty new Indian dress my sister sent her so she’s just using Purim as an excuse to wear it. Aadi has spent hours browsing shops with a friend as they plan to wear the same outfits until they found what they were looking for.
I not a big sport when it comes to the costume so usually when the kids ask me what I am going to be this Purim – I’d always say I’m going to be a mama – nothing else. I know I’m so boring!! This year, however, Aadi has been nagging me to wear a costume. So, I got myself a Maleficient hairband and plan to wear all black. That should do it – what say you?
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes – (Save/Pin Purim Cookies for later)
- Dates – I love using Medjool dates. They are naturally sweet but also are soft and can be mashed beautifully into a filling.
- Nuts – This is optional and can be omitted if you want to keep them nut free. Personally, I like the combination of dates with either Pecans or Walnuts but almonds and pistachios work too!.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter because I like to control the amount of salt. But if salt is all you have to go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
As I explained about butter in my Tip Thursday – how butter affects cookie baking – use room temperature not softens butter for better results. - Sugar – I highly recommend you use fine grain sugar to shorten the creaming time. Always cream the butter and sugar well and fine sugar works best.
- Cornstarch – also called cornflour makes the cookie dough crisper, and give it that crumbly texture we love in cookies.
- Eggs – I use large eggs about 65 to 70 grams each.
- Extract – Orange is quite traditionally used in Purim cookies but if you don’t have some go ahead and omit the orange. Vanilla always works a treat.
Dates Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentasche, Oznei Haman – Date filled purim cookies
Recipe – Hamentaschen Cookies – Oznei Haman or Purim Cookies (Save/Pin for later)
Tools
- hand mixer,
- Kitchen-Aid or
- K-Mix.
- Bowl,
- Spatula,
- Wooden Spoon,
- Cling Wrap,
- Baking trays,
- Rolling Pin,
- Circle cookie cutter.
Dates Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentaschen, Jewish cookies, Date filled Oznei Haman Cookies
Ingredients
For the shortbread cookie dough
- Unsalted butter – 170 grams ( 1 1/2 stick)
- White sugar – 200 grams (1 cup)
- All-purpose flour – 410 grams ( 3 2/3 cups )
- Cornstarch /cornflour – 30 grams (1/4 cup)
- Baking powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1/4 tsp
- Egg s- 1 large + 1 egg yolk
- Vanilla or orange Extract – 2 tsp
- Orange juice – 4 tbsp
Date Filling
- Medjool dates – 350 grams (15 dates -pitted)
- Orange juice – 60 ml (1/4 cup)
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Lemon zest – 1 tsp
- Nuts – 1/2 cup chopped
Method
Make the filling
- Remove the pits from the dates and roughly chop them
- Place them in a saucepan with orange juice, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Cook on low until the dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork (3 minutes)
- Once all the dates are mashed completely
- Add the chopped nuts – stir well to combine
- Let cool completely before you fill the cookies
Making the Dough
- Sift and combine together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt.
- Cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla or orange extract.
- Next, add egg and egg yolk one at a time.
- Add flour and orange juice.
- This is a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into two.
- Form each into a flat disc.
- Wrap in cling/plastic wrap.
Chill Dough /Roll Cookies
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
- Roll the dough using as little flour as possible.
- Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter cut as many discs as you can.
- Place the circles on a baking tray –
- If the dough has softened place in the fridge to chill again.
Add Filling and Fold (see video below)
- Place a small teaspoon of filling in the center of the disc
- Do not add too much filling. The cookie dough is delicious on its own too.
- Too much filling will cause an overflow and open up.
- Dampen the disc edges very lightly with water or egg white ( very lightly – just to secure them)
- Overlap or pinch the three sides of the disc/circle using one of the methods below.
Chill cookies and Bake
- Preheat the oven at 180 C / 360 F
- Chill the cookies for at least 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. (Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape better)
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 14 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack completely before you store in a cookie jar
Storage
- These cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks but they taste best in the first week of baking.
- The cookie dough can be chilled for a week in the fridge or frozen for up to three months in the freeze
- Fruit fillings will last for a week in the fridge
Video – How to fold Purim Cookies aka Hamentaschen or Ozzen Haman Cookies
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Dates Purim Cookies aka Dates filled purim cookies, hamentaschen or Oznei Haman Jewish Cookies
Dates Purim Cookies aka Date Filled Purim Cookies
Ingredients
For the shortbread cookie dough
- 170 grams Unsalted butter
- 200 grams White sugar
- 410 grams All purpose flour
- 30 grams Cornstarch /cornflour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg large
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 tsp Vanilla -or Orange extract
- 4 tbsp Orange juice
Date Filling
- 350 grams Medjool dates
- 60 ml Orange juice
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 1 cup Nuts chopped
Instructions
Make the filling
- Remove the pits from the dates and roughly chop them,
- Place them in a saucepan with orange juice, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Cook on low until the dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork (3 minutes)
- Once all the dates are mashed completely
- Add the chopped nuts - stir well to combine
- Let cool completely before you fill the cookies
Making the Dough
- Sift and combine together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt.
- Cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla or orange extract.
- Next, add egg and egg yolk one at a time.
- Add flour and orange juice.
- This is a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into two.
- Form each into a flat disc.
- Wrap in cling/plastic wrap.
Chill Dough /Roll Cookies
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
- Roll the dough using as little flour as possible.
- Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter cut as many discs as you can.
- Place the circles on a baking tray -
- If the dough has softened place in the fridge to chill again.
Add Filling and Fold (See video above)
- Place a small teaspoon of filling in the center of the disc
- Do not add too much filling. The cookie dough is delicious on its own too.
- Too much filling will cause an overflow and open up.
- Dampen the disc edges very lightly with water or egg white ( very lightly - just to secure them)
- Overlap or pinch the three sides of the disc/circle using one of the methods below.
Chill cookies and Bake
- Preheat the oven at 180 C / 360 F
- Chill the cookies for at least 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. (Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape better)
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 14 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack completely before you store in a cookie jar
Storage
- These cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks but they taste best in the first week of baking.
- The cookie dough can be chilled for a week in the fridge or frozen for up to three months in the freeze
- Fruit fillings will last for a week in the fridge
Love Cookies? Me too!
You may like to check out some of my other cookie recipes.
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Oh wow, I remember my grand mom making these. We are not Jewish but I used to love these cookies. I am going to make these cookies Thanks
Thanks Bronn. These have been around for decades, so yes your grandmom must have made something similar.
Veena you always have the best cookies on your blog. Never heard of these before but tried them because we love dates. And everybody was so excited. It was so tasty. Love the buttery crisp biscuit kinda dough. Thanks
Aww, thank you, Nicki. I am so happy to hear you say that and so happy you enjoyed these so much. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Love your blog Veena. Your recipes always work. This one didn’t disappoint either. I wasn’t expecting the kids to eat these but they loved it. I also made a few with Nutella as you suggested and wow.. so good.
Thank you so much, Candra. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and so did the kids. My kids love these but only with dates, strawberry and such fillings.