published Feb 21, 2024 Hamantaschen are festive shortbread cookies that are shaped into triangle tarts and baked with a variety of fruit, chocolate, or nutty fillings. These colorful “hat-shaped” pastries are also known as “Haman’s ears,” a reference to the story of Purim a Jewish holiday. This whole hamantaschen recipe takes less than an hour — with most of that time spent waiting for the dough to chill! While you wait, be sure to check out the video below in the recipe card for a walkthrough on how to shape your hamantasch cookies. In addition to jam, hamantaschen can also be filled with poppy seed paste. It’s a very common filling in a variety of Purim desserts, including rugelach, sweet buns, and poppy seed rolls. A little more tender and even nuttier are these spicy-sweet maamoul cookies. These are also often served during Purim and might be a nice change of pace!
Recommended Tools
Stand Mixer – If you do a lot of baking, it’s worth investing in a stand mixer to save yourself some arm strain! Cookie Cutters – While cups and bowls can do the trick, it’s always easiest to shape dough with tools specifically designed to do so. And the shapes always come out clean!
Storing and Freezing
If hamantaschen are filled with apricot jam, strawberry jam, or Nutella, then they can be safely stored at room temperature. If they’re filled with milk-based poppy seed filling, they’ll need to be refrigerated. Either way, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Hamantash can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a few hours in the fridge or for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Love this recipe? Share it with the world on Pinterest.
