The Perfect Hamentaschen

March 6, 2008 12:47 AM

Does anyone have a really great hamentaschen recipe?

I prefer poppyside filling, but the filling on any good hamentaschen recipe should be interchangable. I have no objection to even using a store bought filling but am really interested in a recipe for the perfect hamentaschen dough. Please only provide recipes you have personally made or tasted and tell me why this is your favorite hamentaschen. Many thanks and Happy Purim!

posted by Lylo to food & drink (7 answers total)

Leesh does - she made me awesome hamentaschen a year or two ago, and I bet she will see this thread and contribute.
posted by pinky at 4:15 AM on March 6, 2008

This is from the 1977 Sisterhood Beth Torah of Sepulveda, CA, fundraiser community cookbook entitled "Kissin' wears out...Cookin' don't!", which I picked up at a used book store about five years ago. I've made this recipe every year since then. The dough gets beautifully smooth and can be rolled out quite thin, allowing for more cookies, and has a nice texture when cooked and a lovely vanilla flavor.

4 eggs
1 c. oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 - 5c flour

Beat eggs til foamy, beat in oil, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, salt. Add flour gradually. Mix thoroughly, then knead til smooth. Roll on floured surface til 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles using a large glass, place several spoonfuls of of filling, and fold; bake at 375 for 20 min.

The filling I usually use is:
1/2 lb poppy seeds, washed, boiled for 10 min, and drained
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chopped raisins (last year I used cranberries too, which turned out well)
1 egg
posted by nonane at 5:00 AM on March 6, 2008

I do have a good recipe--but I'm at work now! It's from a Jewish women's group's cookbook and is similar to the one above, but has some orange juice in it. The juice is key. I'll try and remember to post it later--feel free to MefiMail me and remind me.
posted by leesh at 5:20 AM on March 6, 2008

I would just like to suggest a filling that I think is delicious, but a little non traditional: lemon curd. Store bought or homemade, it is amazing.
posted by piratebowling at 6:16 AM on March 6, 2008

Here it is - the Compleat Hamantaschen Resource
posted by watercarrier at 8:32 AM on March 6, 2008

Ditto on the orange juice in the dough. My Egyptian great-grandma made it that way, and it's amazing.
posted by Scram at 10:37 AM on March 6, 2008

OK, here is the recipe! It's from Temple Sinai Pittsburgh's Incredible Edibles Cookbook (1991).

Dough:
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice (recipe calls for undiluted frozen OJ from concentrate, but I just use regular OJ)

Filling--whatever you choose

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix eggs, oil, vanilla, and juice in another bowl. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid mixture. If too dry, add a little more juice. Separate dough into 3 balls. [ed. note: for ease of rolling, I guess.] Refrigerate unused dough. Roll ball out on floured surface to about 1/8" thickness. Cut into rounds with a glass or cookie cutter. Place one teaspoon of filling in the center of dough and pinch corners into tri-corner shape. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 15 minutes.
posted by leesh at 1:37 PM on March 6, 2008