Buttery cream cheese pastry, sour cherry filling, dark chocolate drizzle – the ultimate Hamantaschen recipe
Ok, so here’s the deal. When it comes to Hamantaschen, I feel very qualified to weigh in on what makes up a really good cookie. A lot of people overlook them because the mass produced Hamantaschen are so dry, too cake-y, even a little sandy, and the filling is always a let-down. My bar is set real high as my Mom makes really great Hamantaschen every year, and even sent me extremely generous care packages in college filled with at least 4 different kinds.
So where do these funny triangular shaped cookies come from? Traditionally they are eaten during Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates Queen Esther’s heroic bravery, and how she saved the Jewish people of ancient Persia from the evil Haman and a deadly demise. It is said that Haman wore a triangular shaped hat, hence the shape of the cookie. Since I was a kid I always loved this story, probably the most of all. Here you have a regular girl as the true heroine of the story, which is uncommon in Jewish tradition. The story of Esther is read each year, again and again, by Jews around the world to immortalize and honor her. And that is so damn cool.
Ok back to cookies! The beauty of Hamantaschen is that you can make one batch of dough, and customize the fillings! Some common choices are poppy seed, date, apricot, raspberry, Nutella, chocolate…
I always prefer the fruit fillings bc I love fruit anything and would choose a pie over cake any day. And sour cherry? Hiiiiiiiiiii!!! Yes please. To be honest, I could stop here, but I added the little chocolate drizzle at the end because it took the Hamantaschen in a Black Forest direction that I am not mad about.
NOTES: I think you’re going to LOVE the cherry filling, but seriously feel free to try any jam, chocolate kisses, Nutella! You just want to make sure that the filling isn’t too liquid-y or the cookies will collapse in the oven. DO NOT skip the step where you brush a beaten egg around the edges to seal the cookie before you pinch the corners. There’s truly nothing worse than seeing a tray of droopy Hamantaschen. Also, I use butter in the dough, because the flavor and texture it adds cannot be compared to artificial margarine (pareve) counterparts…SORRY! But not sorry.
So make these, and share them! That is another nice little mitzvah of Purim, sending sweet care packages to your loved ones. And remember to tag your pictures on Insta with #lionsbread so I can see what you’re making!
HAMANTASCHEN WITH SOUR CHERRY FILLING AND DARK CHOCOLATE
Makes about 32 cookies
2 hours
INGREDIENTS
Sour Cherry Filling:
1 24 oz. jar Morello Cherries in light syrup
1 T sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp almond extract
tiny pinch of salt
2 tsp cornstarch
Cream Cheese Dough:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2.5 c all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 egg – for beaten egg wash
1 c chopped dark chocolate, or chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Filling: Drain the cherries, and save 3/4 c of the light cherry syrup. Roughly chop the cherries and place in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Whisk the cornstarch into the cherry syrup, until totally combined. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the cherry syrup mixture, salt, orange zest. Bring to a boil, then boil for 2-3 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add the almond extract. Add the thickened syrup to the bowl of cherries, and allow to cool to room temp, or refrigerate until ready to assemble the Hamantaschen.
Dough: In the bowl of an electric mixture, combine the butter, sugar, an cream cheese, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add the flour and salt, and beat on low until combined and the dough starts to form. Add another tablespoon or 2 of flour if the dough is too sticky. Remove the dough, and place it on plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
To assemble the Hamantaschen:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out half of the dough on a well floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Flour the rolling pin if the dough is sticking. Cut out circles using a 3″ cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps for the next round. Spoon a teaspoonful of cherry filling in the center of each circle.
Brush the beaten egg around the perimeter of the circles to act as glue, and pinch up the circles to create triangles TIGHTLY. Place the triangles on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.
Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for about 1.5 minutes. Then using a fork or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. Let stand for about 20 minutes or until chocolate is set.