Purim isn't Purim without Hamantaschen!

Named after the villain, Haman, of the Purim story about Queen Esther saving the Persian Jews from extermination, the pastry now comes in many forms. Originally, it was named from the medieval poppy-filled pastry "mohntaschen," in German, poppy is "mohn" and "tash" is pocket. The name for German Jews became "hamantaschen," close to Haman's name. The triangles were supposed to represent Haman's hat, or some people say his ears, but Tirso De Molina's play, "El Sombrero de Tres Picos," talks about the three-cornered hats which only dignitaries like Haman were allowed to wear. One can fill these delicious pastries with homemade or store-bought fillings of poppy seeds, various jams, chocolate, or something as creative as tiny marshmallows. 

There are four traditional ways to celebrate Purim that come from the book of Esther and later traditions: giving edible gifts, the reading or hearing of the story from the synagogue podium, giving donations to the poor, and enjoying a celebration meal.

This is my favorite recipe:

Hamantaschen 

Dough 

10 T. of unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 tsp. table salt

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. grated orange rind

2 1/2 cups flour

1 egg yolk, beaten, to glaze edges before baking

1-2 tsp. of sugar to sprinkle over the hamantaschen (optional)

In food processor, with a blade, beat butter, cream cheese, sugar and salt about three minutes until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and rind, and mix 1 minute. Add flour and mix until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Divide the dough into two parts. Form two 6-inch disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours or up to 3 days. Between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or plastic wrap, roll out dough to 1/8" thick. Remove top sheet and use a 3" round cookie cutter to cut out pastries. Dipping the cookie cutter in flour may help keep the dough from sticking. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. Dollop one level teaspoon of filling in the middle of the round. Don't overfill. Dip fingers in water to moisten corners. Fold one-third of the cookie toward the center, then a second side, pressing two ends together and leaving the other ends open. Fold the third side of the cookie toward the center to form a triangle and press the ends together to look much like a pirate's hat. Make sure all corner ends are secure to seal in the fillings during baking. The filling should show in the middle. Brush with egg wash before baking. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Return to refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking to make a flaky pastry. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F. for 20 minutes until the edges begin to brown. 

Fillings may range from poppy seed, raspberry jam to apricot jam or prune or your creative choice. Tahini mixed with a few chocolate chips can taste like halvah or use store-bought Nutella, made of hazelnuts and chocolate found near the peanut butters in the grocery. If you are lucky, you might find a can of poppy seed filling in the grocery or order some online. For those who like a challenge, you may use the traditional poppy seed filling. 

Poppy seed filling (Health food stores often carry fresh poppy seeds.)

1 cup of poppy seeds ground in coffee grinder to a powder just before a paste forms. 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup honey

1/8 tsp. salt

1 T. unsalted butter

1 tsp. grated lemon zest plus grated lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Bring cream, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add poppy seeds and cook stirring, occasionally, until the mixture is thickened about 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in butter and lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. This should be the consistency of a jam. Fillings can be stored covered in the refrigerator for three days. 

No matter the filling, or the dough recipe used, these pastries are one of the highlights of Purim. 

Myrna Ossin is the author of "What to Do with Your Leftover Matzah, the Fifth Question" on Amazon.