Hamantaschen Cookies

A Purim party is incomplete without hamantaschen also called Oznei Haman or Purim cookies. These are filled with naturally sweet dates and pecans folded in a shortbread cookie dough to get a traditional triangle shape before being baked until they are lightly golden on the edges.

Purim is my kids’ favorite festival—think Halloween spirit with all the costumes and excitement! Every year, we make hamantaschen cookies together, and over time, our filling options have expanded from just a couple to a variety of delicious choices—prune, poppy seed, apple pie, chocolate, and more.

I’ve also experimented with different doughs to mix things up: Cold Butter Dough: The one I often use, which gives a tender, flaky texture. (recipe below). Sugar Cookie Dough: Made with creamed butter and sugar, offering a richer, sweeter bite. Oil-Based Dough: A favorite in commercial recipes for its simplicity and unique texture. And let’s not forget my special creations—an eggless version for those extra delicate occasions and even a chocolate dough for when we feel like mixing things up.

Why make these cookies?

• Versatile Filling Options: With a selection ranging from prune and poppy seed to apple pie, pecan, chocolate, halva, and pistachio, you can mix and match fillings to create unique flavor combinations that cater to any taste.
• Bright Citrus Flavor: The inclusion of orange zest and fresh orange juice in the dough adds a refreshing, tangy note that elevates the overall flavor, balancing the sweetness of the fillings.
• Perfect Texture: The method of cutting in cold butter into the dry ingredients produces a wonderfully crumbly yet cohesive dough. This ensures that the cookies bake up light and tender while still holding their shape.
• Easy and Reliable Technique: Using a stand mixer streamlines the process, making it accessible for both novice and experienced bakers. The clear steps—from chilling the dough to the final dusting of powdered sugar—ensure consistent, delicious results every time.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter because I like to control the amount of salt. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, use it. Just omit salt from the recipe.
• Sugar – I highly recommend you use fine grain sugar to shorten the creaming time. Always cream the butter and sugar well. And fine grain sugar works best.
• Cornstarch  – Also called cornflour, makes the cookie dough crisper and gives 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. And yet, if you don’t have some go ahead and omit the orange. Vanilla extract always works like a charm.
• Fillings – I usually choose between one or two of the fillings to get two types of cookies at the same time. Dates and chocolate is my kids’ favorite fillings.

Step-by-step: Hamantaschen Purim Cookies

Cookie Dough

• Mix Dry Ingredients: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, orange zest, and salt.
• Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, chopped butter to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly.
• Add Liquids: Pour in the vanilla extract, then add the egg yolk and orange juice. Mix until just combined. Next, add the whole egg and continue mixing until the dough begins to come together.
• Chill the Dough:Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
• Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Roll & Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out circles using a round cutter (approximately 3–4 inches in diameter).
• Fill and Shape: Place about 1 tablespoon of the cooled filling in the center of each circle. Fold or pinch the edges up to form a triangle, gently pinching the corners together. (Leave the center exposed so the filling shows in the center.)

• Bake: Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

Hamantaschen fillings

• Kids favorite – Nutella, Peanut butter, Biscoff lotus, etc,

• Date filling – Place the dates in a saucepan with orange, lemon, and zest. Cook on low until the dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork (3 minutes). Remove from heat, add the chopped nuts, and stir well to combine. Let cool completely before you fill the cookies.

• Pecan pie filling – Add the chopped pecans and all other filling ingredients in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the sugar melts and starts to thicken. Take it off the heat once all the syrup is absorbed. Take it off the heat. Let cool completely before filling in the cookies.

• Apple pie filling – Wash, core, peel, and chop the apple into small pieces. Add all filling ingredients in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the sugar melts and the apples release their juices. The cornstarch will start to thicken the juices. Continue to cook on medium until almost all the juices are evaporated. Take it off the heat. Let cool completely before filling in the cookies.

• Pistachio filling – Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness.

• Halva filling – In a bowl combine the halva with hot heavy cream. The heat in the heavy cream should be enough to make a halva paste. If necessary, warm it in the microwave.

• Apple Pie Hamantaschen
• Pistachio Halva Hamantaschen Cookies
• Pecan Pie Hamantaschen Cookies
• Strawberry Eggless Hamantaschen
• Purim Cookies – Poppy seeds, Prunes
• See all hamantaschen purim cookies

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