Buttery Hamantaschen

This recipe comes from blogger Tori Avey who has an amazing blog. I highly suggest you visit and see more wonderful recipes and beautiful pictures!

click here for Tory's Kitchen

Hamantaschen Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1-5 tsp water (if needed)

You will also need

• Large mixing bowl, electric mixer, sifter, pastry scraper, rolling pin, 3-inch cookie cutter or drinking glass with 3-inch diameter rim

Servings: About 35 hamantaschen

Kosher Key: Dairy

Instructions

1. Slice room temperature butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add sugar to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes till light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest to the bowl. Beat again till creamy and well mixed.
4. Sift flour and salt into the bowl.
5. Mix with the electric mixer on low speed till a crumbly dough forms.
6. Begin to knead dough with hands till a smooth dough ball forms. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour till it reaches the right texture.
7. Form the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours to overnight.
8. Before you begin to assemble the hamantaschen, choose and make your filling and have it on hand to work with. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour a smooth, clean surface. Unwrap the dough disk and place it on the floured surface. The dough will be very firm after chilling.
9. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. At the beginning, it will be tough to roll out-- you may need to pound it a bit. A heavy rolling pin works best. As you roll, cracks may form on the edges of the dough. Repair any large cracks with your fingers and continue rolling.
10. When the dough reaches 1/4 inch thickness, scrape the dough up with a pastry scraper, lightly reflour the surface, and flip the dough over. Continue rolling the dough out very thin (less than 1/8 of an inch thick). The thinner you roll the dough, the more delicate and crisp the cookies will turn out-- just make sure that the dough is still thick enough to hold the filling and its shape! If you prefer a thicker, more doughy texture to your cookies (less delicate), keep the dough closer to 1/4 inch thick. Lightly flour the rolling pin occasionally to prevent sticking.
11. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (not smaller) or the 3-inch rim of a glass to cut circles out of the dough, cutting as many as you can from the dough.
12. Gather the scraps and roll them out again. Cut circles. Repeat process again if needed until you've cut as many circles as you can from the dough. You should end up with around 35 circles (unless you've kept your dough on the thicker side, which will result in less cookies).
13. Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle.

Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.

Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.

Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.

Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side

of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a "pinwheel" effect. This method if folding is not only pretty-- it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.

Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape. If any cracks have formed at the places where the dough is creased, use the warmth of your fingers to smooth them out.

Repeat this process for the remaining circles.

When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced.

Place them in the oven and let them bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, till the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Store them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or Tupperware.

What Is Purim?

The Jewish festival of Purim begins at sunset, marking the start of two days of celebration, remembering God's providence in rescuing the Jewish people from the ancient Persian Empire. It has been celebrated each year on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar – which falls on March 23 this year – for over two millenia.

The festival commemorates God saving the Jewish people from a Persian official named Haman.

The story is recorded in the book of Esther, named after the Jewish heroine of the story. In the Biblical account, Haman, the royal vizier to the Persian King Ahasuerus, plans to kill all the Jews in the empire. However his plans are thwarted by two Jews – Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai is the cousin and adoptive father of Esther, who has become Queen of Persia.

Haman's desire to destroy the Jewish people begins when he is insulted by Mordecai refusing to bow to him. He declares that all Jews should be killed, and the King agrees. Meanwhile, Esther – who is married to the King – asks all the Jews to fast for three days.

Esther then arranges a feast to celebrate the end of the fast, inviting both the King and Haman, finally revealing her identity as a Jew. The King – realizing that Haman now wants to kill his wife – says he should be hanged, and the Jews are saved.

God used Esther to thwart Haman's conspiracy. She was a simple, orphaned Jewish girl, but was raised up by God to rescue his people from death.

Isn't Esther the book in the Bible that doesn't mention God's name?

Well yes, if you're reading in English. The answer is not so simple when the book is read in its original Hebrew, however.

Though the name of God is not explicitly mentioned, it can be found in the book of Esther five times through the use of acrostics.

Why acrostics?

There are two potential reasons – one practical, and one more thematic.

1. God's name might not have been overtly mentioned because of the context in which in which Esther was written. Tradition holds that Mordecai wrote the book in Persia, where his direct mention of God would have meant he were persecuted. Instead, he disguised his references to the Lord in acrostics.

2. There are no miracles or obvious examples of God's intervention in the narrative of Esther, yet he is by no means absent from these events. The entire story points to God's sovereignty. The Lord redeems his people through the faith and courage of one strategically placed woman. The lack of direct reference to God or the miraculous teaches that God is present in the seemingly natural, sovereign over all.

Why is Purim celebrated?

To commemorate the Jews' victory over Hamman. It is written in Esther "that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor."

There are three main ways that Jews celebrate Purim.

Shouting in the Synagogue. During the festival the story of Esther is read out twice. During the reading, when Haman's name appears – 54 times – the congregation starts shouting and using special wooden ratchets to drown out his name. This is practiced around the world, apart from by Spanish and Portuguese Jews (the Western Sephardim), who consider it a breach of decorum.

Giving food and money away. One of Purim’s primary themes is Jewish unity. Haman tried to kill all Jews, all were all in danger together, so they celebrate together too. Hence, on Purim day they place special emphasis on caring for the less fortunate.

       Give money or food to at least two needy people during the daylight hours of Purim. In case you can’t find any needy people, your synagogue/church will likely be collecting  money for this purpose. At least, place two coins in a charity box earmarked for the  poor. On Purim, we give a donation to whoever asks; we don’t verify his or her bank  balance first.

       As with the other mitzvahs of Purim, even small children should fulfill this mitzvah.

Obligatory eating and drinking. Unless you have a good medical reason, every Jew is obliged to eat and drink on Purim. A rabbi named Rava said in the Talmud that one should drink until you can "no longer distinguish between arur Haman (cursed is Haman) and baruch Mordechai (blessed is Mordecai)". The drinking has been taken to different extremes throughout history, some saying it best to drink just a little more than usual and then go to bed, while others say there's no limit.

Hamantaschen Cookies w/Various Fillings

Eating Hamantaschen. Although nowadays you can find hamantaschen filled with practically any type of filling (sweet or savory), the classic hamantash was always filled with poppy seeds. Indeed, the very word “haman” can either refer to the wicked Haman or poppy seeds (mohn), and the Yiddish word“tash” means pocket.

Thus, “hamantaschen” means “poppy-seed-filled pockets.”

This is in line with the classic explanation given in the Code of Jewish Lawfor eating hamantaschen on Purim:

Some say that one should eat a food made out of seeds on Purim in memory of the seeds that Daniel and his friends ate in the house of the king of Babylon, as the verse states, “And he gave them seeds.”

But what in the world does Daniel eating seeds have to do with Purim?

The Talmud explains that Hatach, Queen Esther’s faithful messenger and one of the lesser-known heroes of the Purim story, is a pseudonym for none other than Daniel.

Furthermore, as we read in the Purim story, when Esther was in the king’s palace, she kept her identity secret. The Talmud explains that since the food was non-kosher, she survived on various beans and seeds.

It is in commemoration of both Daniel and Esther that there is a custom to eat beans and seeds on Purim. The way this custom is traditionally observed is by eating pastry pockets, a.k.a. taschen filled with mohn, poppy seeds.

Esther exposing Haman to the King

Based on this reason for eating hamantaschen, whenever the classic halachic sources discuss this custom, specific mention is made of the hamantash being filled with poppy seeds.

In addition to the classic reason for hamantaschen, many other explanations have been offered to explain this custom. Indeed, just about every aspect of this treat is laden with symbolism. Here are some explanations given.

The Weakening of Haman

“Tash” in Hebrew means “weaken.” Thus, the hamantash celebrates the weakening of Haman and our wish that God always save by weakening our enemies.

Hidden Messages

During the Purim story, many Jews did not believe they were going be completely wiped out. Mordechai convinced them of the seriousness of the threat by sending them numerous letters warning them of the impending doom. Afraid to send the letters by conventional routes lest their enemies intercept them, he sent the letters hidden inside pastries. In commemoration of this, pastries are eaten with a filling.

Hidden Sweetness

A well-known insight into the hamantash points to the fact that the filling is hidden inside the dough. In earlier times, Jewish ancestors were accustomed to experiencing open miracles. In a time of exile, openly revealed miracles aren't commonly experienced anymore. Nevertheless, the Purim story shows that this does not mean that we’ve been abandoned. On the contrary, God is ever present. He’s just operating in a behind-the-scenes fashion, just as the filling of the hamantash is hidden within the dough.

Three Corners

While there is an old legend that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and to commemorate his downfall, a three-cornered pastry is eaten, there is a deeper significance as well.

The Midrash says that when Haman recognized (the merit of) three forefathers, his strength immediately weakened. Because of this, three-cornered pastries are eaten and called “Haman weakeners (tashen).”

Another reason for corners: The Hebrew word for “corner” in Hebrew is“keren,” which literally means “horn,” and can also denote “ray,” “fortune,” or “pride.” Thus, the sages understand the verse, “And all the kerens of the wicked I shall cut down” as referring to Haman, and “Exalted will be thekeren of the righteous” as referring to Mordechai.

If you're interested in the Esther story in more detail by an amazing pastor and storyteller. Then please follow this link to Fresh Life Church and watch the series. Trust me, it is well worth it!

Here is the first video in the series: Velvet and Steel

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My next blog post will be of Hamantaschen cookie recipe (for link, click here).. I wanted to get this post out before Purim, but was simply too busy, so now, I hope my readers will be interested in celebrating this amazing story next year by making Hamantaschen cookies and perhaps considering some of the other traditions of Purim.