Purim Cookies – Oznei Haman

These Purim cookies are a special treat during the Jewish Purim festival. A shortbread cookie dough with hundreds of choices for fillings, from traditional poppy seed and dates to modern chocolate, halva, apple pie, pecan pie, strawberry, dulce de leche, and more.

If you are Jewish or are associated with Jewish food, then the names Hamantaschen, Oznei Haman, or Purim cookies are not new to you. I learned of these years ago when I came to Israel. I started making them because my kids LOVE them. And now, every year for this Jewish holiday of Purim, I make lovely cookies with new flavors for my kids to try.

One of the most fascinating things I learned about these cookies is the many names it has and the reason for those names.  It’s all associated with the Purim story involving a bad guy name Haman, a Jewish lady named Esther, and her victory over his plot to destroy the Jewish People. The cookie is shaped to resemble the three corners of Haman’s hat. Purim is the name of the festival and both Hamantaschen and Oznei Haman are derived from his name.

Why make these cookies?

• The cookie dough is like a shortbread cookie filling with this wonderful traditional or modern filling.
• The dough is very simple and easy to make. In fact, you don’t need any special equipment. A bowl and spatula would work too.
• The dough needs some chilling time in between while you prepare the filling. But, you can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days ahead or kept frozen for up to a month.
• The filling has a long shelf life too. It stays in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in 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.
• Eggs – I use large eggs, about 60 to 65 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 extract always works like 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.

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Step-by-step: Purim Cookies: Oznei Haman

Dough

• Dry ingredients – In a bowl, sift and combine together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
• Wet ingredients – In the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract and orange extract

• Chill – Next, add the flour mixture and orange juice. Combine well into a soft dough. Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
• 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 teaspoon 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.

Method one – pinch method

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

Method two – overlap method

• Basically, all you do is overlap the three corners.
• Start with the first, then the second overlap the first, and lastly, the third overlaps the first.
• It’s easier to understand with the images below.

• Apple Pie Hamantaschen
• Pistachio halva hamantaschen
• Eggless Hamantaschen with strawberry filling
• Pecan Pie Hamantaschen
• See all purim cookies

Frequently asked questions

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