Every year, as we teeter at the edge of winter, I look forward to Spring and to making and eating these flavorful little Purim pastry packages. They are called Hamentaschen and are filled with poppyseeds, fruit preserves or nuts and formed into a three cornered hat that is the perfect accompaniment to some spiced tea or a latte. My favorite Hamentaschen are made by my friend Phil Goldman who has been making these for almost 70 years for family and friends but I make my own back up stash in case my allotment from Phil gets intercepted! Some of his secret tips are to add orange zest to the dough and to roll it out evenly to a 1/8 inch thickness.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 24
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups gluten-free flour, plus more for surface
- 1 cup of solidified coconut oil, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon of freshly-grated orange zest
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups of Date-Orange Filling, Honey-Nut Filling, Poppy Seed Filling, or 1½ cups jam or preserves
Preparation
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Whisk baking powder, salt, orange zest and 4 cups flour in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, coconut butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.
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Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; mix until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and form into two ¾”-thick disks. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
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Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until softened slightly, about 30 minutes.
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Roll out dough on a very lightly floured surface to about 1/8″ thick, dusting with flour as needed (use as little flour as possible). Cut out 3 1/2″ rounds with cutter and, using an offset spatula or bench scraper, transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Gather up scraps, reroll, and cut out additional rounds.
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Lightly beat remaining egg in a small bowl to blend. Working a few at a time, brush edge of rounds with egg, then place 1 1/2 tsp. filling in center. Fold sides up to make a triangle, pinching points gently to seal and leaving about 1″ surface of filling exposed.
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Brush sides of folded dough with egg. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until bottoms are golden brown, 18–22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
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If possible, do Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days ahead; kept chilled. Cookies can be made 2 days ahead; let cool and store airtight at room temperature.
