Purim Cookies Recipe – Hamentaschen also called Oznei Haman

These Purim cookies are a special treat during the Jewish Purim festival. With hundreds of choices for fillings from traditional poppy seed and dates to modern chocolate, dulce de leche and more. This simple, easy and effortless recipe uses shortcrust cookie dough as a base with easy to follow folding instructions to get the perfect Hamentaschen cookies.

Purim Cookies, Hamentaschen Cookies – Oznei Haman cookies – Jewish Purim Cookie

Have you seen these cookies yet?

Probably! They are served almost everywhere as regular normal cookies. But do you know that they are special holiday cookies? If you are Jewish or are associated with Jewish food then the names Hamentaschen Cookies or Oznei Haman or Purim cookies are not new to you. I myself started making them only when I came here to Israel. And now every year I make these lovely Purim cookies for my kids.

Purim cookies or Hamentaschen Cookies Recipe – Oznei Haman

My son loves them – he’s favorite are the ones filled with Nutella or chocolate.

When I had these the first time, years ago in the US – they were just made with shortcrust pastry with poppy seed filling. I did not know there was a different recipe for it until I came to Israel.

Oznei Haman or Hamentaschen Cookies Recipe, or Purim Cookies

So,  after trying several recipes, I eventually formulated this one, which works best for me. I’m not sure how authentic this is but my kids love it, my friends love it, and now I hope you will like it too.

Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes – (Save/Pin Purim Cookies for later)

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter because I like to control the amount of salt. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe. As I explain about butter in my Tip Thursday – how butter affects baking – use room temperature 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 grain sugar works best.
• Eggs – I use large eggs about 65 to 70 grams each.
• Extract – Orange is traditional with these cookies. And yet, if you don’t have some go ahead and omit the orange. Also, vanilla always works a treat.
• Fillings – I usually choose between one or two of the fillings to get two types of cookies at the same time. Chocolate is my kids favorite filling.

Recipe – Hamentaschen Cookies – Oznei Haman or Purim Cookies (Save/Pin for later)

Useful Tips and Tools

• I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid.
• A good baking tray is always important. So, try using a light colored baking trayBaking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with Parchment Paper.
• If you aren’t going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a Cookie rolling pin has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
• Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So take them off the baking tray to prevent them cooking further and place them on a Cooking rack so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie thus…… keeping them crispy not soggy.
• Always bake cookies on the center rack of your Oven. And if you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
• Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a kitchen timer that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.

Here are some we made today for tea.

Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman cookies, Jewish Purim Cookies

Ingredients

For the shortbread cookie dough

• Unsalted butter – 170 grams ( 1 1/2 stick)
• White sugar – 225 grams (1 cup)
• All-purpose flour – 440 grams
• Baking powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Eggs – 1 large + 1 egg yolk
• Vanilla (or orange extract) – 2 tsp
• Orange juice – 4 tbsp

Filling – poppy seed filling or prune filling, Nutella, chocolate, halva, dulce de leche, strawberry jam (any other jam)

Poppy Seed Filling

• Poppy seeds – 1/2 cup
• Milk – 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Butter –  15 grams (1 tbsp)
• Sugar – 30 grams (2 tbsp)
• Raisins – or dried apples – 100 grams (2/3 cup)  (optional)

Prune Filling

• Prunes – 1 cup (pitted)
• Sugar – 100 grams (1/2 cup)
• Raisins – 100 grams (2/3 cup)
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Lemon zest – 1 tbsp

Chocolate Filling

• Chocolate – 200 grams (7 oz)
• Whipping cream – 2 tbsp
• Butter – 1 tbsp

Method

Making the Dough

• Sift and combine together flour, 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

• 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 on YouTube – Purim Cookies Recipe – Hamentaschen or Oznei Haman

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Progress Pictures – Hamentaschen Cookies

These are some progress pictures I took a few years back before I made the video. The post was so popular I had to update it with a video.

Progress Picture 1 – Making the Purim Cookie Dough

Purim Cookies, Hamantaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman Cookies – Jewish Purim Cookies

Progress Picture 2 -Here’s How you roll and cut and fill the cookies. I am using a fluted cutter here but plain works just as well.

Purim Cookies, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman Cookies – Jewish Purim Cookies

Method One  – Pinch Method for Purim Cookies

1. Brush the disc every so slightly with water or egg whites. (I use water)
2. The easiest way to find the middle with these triangles.
3. Pinch two sides – bring the third side up to the middle (see 2 & 3 square in the collage below).
4. Press the folds gently, do not pinch too much.
5. Place cookies all on a baking tray.
6. Note how my cookies are sealed but still have that nice fluted edge (don’t press too hard).

Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman Cookies Jewish Purim Cookies

Method Two –  the Flat look/ overlap method for Purim Cookies

• Basically all you do it overlap the three corners.
• Here I made three different fillings – jam, chocolate pecan, and chocolate chips.

Purim Cookies Recipe, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman cookies – Jewish Cookies Recipe

Purim Cookies, Hamentaschen Cookies, Oznei Haman Cookies, Jewish Purim Cookies

Hamentaschen Cookies Purim Cookies Oznei Haman Cookies

These Purim cookies are a special treat during the Jewish Purim festival. With hundreds of choices for fillings from traditional poppy seed and dates to modern chocolate, dulce de leche and more. This simple, easy and effortless recipe uses shortcrust cookie dough as a base with easy to follow folding instructions to get the perfect Hamentaschen cookies.

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, brunch, High Tea

Cuisine: Israeli

Adjust Servings Here: 24 cookies

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

For the shortbread cookie dough

• 170 grams Unsalted butter
• 225 grams White sugar
• 440 grams All purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 Egg large
• 1 Egg yolk
• 2 tsp Vanilla or orange extract
• 4 tbsp Orange juice

Filling - Poppy seed filling, or Prune Filling, Nutella, Chocolate, Halva, Dulce De Leche, Strawberry Jam (any Jam)

Poppy Seed Filling

• 70 grams Poppy seeds
• 120 ml Milk
• 15 grams Butter
• 30 grams Sugar
• 100 grams Raisins or dried apples  (optional)

Prune Filling

• 1 cup Prunes pitted
• 100 grams Sugar
• 100 grams Raisins
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Lemon zest

Chocolate Filling

• 200 grams Chocolate
• 2 tbsp Whipping cream
• 1 tbsp Butter

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Making the Dough

• Sift and combine together flour, 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

• 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.

Chef's Tips

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.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 48g | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.6g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 6.1g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11.1g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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