Basic, Buttery Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen are to Purim what latkes are to Hanukkah—totally synonymous with the holiday. The German Mohntaschen (literally, “poppy pockets”) is widely believed to be the linguistic ancestor of hamantaschen, later reinterpreted as “Haman’s pockets” for Purim. Despite this, plenty of people (myself included) insist they’re actually meant to resemble his three-cornered hat, and there’s even a song to back us up. Still, others argue they’re shaped like the villain’s ears (hence their Hebrew name oznei Haman—“Haman’s ears”), which feels like an unnecessarily personal insult for a guy who already gets booed annually, but hey.
When it comes to fillings, traditional poppy seed and jam still reign supreme, but these days, just about anything is fair game. The key to great hamantaschen isn’t just what’s inside, though—it starts with a tender dough that holds its shape and makes the baking process enjoyable.
P.S. If you’d like to decorate the hamantaschen with edible flowers as shown in the video above, use pressed flowers (available online—search “edible pressed flowers—or you can press them yourself at home) and a small amount of royal icing. Once the cookies are completely cooled, pipe a tiny dot of royal icing wherever you’d like to place a flower, then gently place a pressed flower on top using tweezers or your fingers. Let the icing dry completely.
Basic, Buttery Hamantaschen
Makes 20 cookies
1 ½ sticks (¾ cup / 168g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 large egg plus 1 yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons (9g) pure vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups (358g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Jam, for filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk, mixing well to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour to the mixer in two batches, mixing on low speed between each addition and scraping down the sides as needed, until a soft dough forms.
Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm but still pliable, about 1 hour or up to overnight.
Fill a small bowl with water and set it nearby. If your dough has refrigerated overnight, let it rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, just until softened and pliable. Place one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface, lightly flour the top of the dough, and roll to ¼ inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out as many circles as possible. Transfer the rounds to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, allowing the edges to touch if needed. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough.
Dip a fingertip into the bowl of water and, working one at a time, lightly trace around the edges of each dough circle to moisten it. Spoon no more than 1 teaspoon of jam into the center (do not overfill), then fold up the edges in three places to form a triangle. Gently but firmly pinch the corners to seal, making sure at least 1 inch of each corner is closed (leave just a small triangle of jam exposed—it will widen during baking). Space the cookies about ½ inch apart on the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour or up to overnight (see Note).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden, firm to the touch, and set on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze assembled, unbaked hamantaschen on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. Baked hamantaschen can also be frozen once completely cooled; freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month and thaw at room temperature before serving.
