The great hamantaschen debate: cakey or cookie? Crunchy or soft? Folded or pinched? Traditional or modern? Try this Traditional Homemade Hamantaschen Recipe for your Purim celebrations!
Judaism: the religion based on loud, pointless arguments. I only joke, although sometimes it seems that way — there are dozens of useless points of contention, and sides are generally staked based on what your grandmother taught you.
Chanukah or Hanukkah? (Chanukah.)
Matzoh balls: sink or swim? (Swim.)
Latkes: grated potatoes or from a box? (Grated potatoes, obviously.)
Challah with or without raisins? (Without. Always without. ALWAYS.)
But I’ve come to realize there is no debate so intense as the hamantaschen debate.
Should the dough be cakier or cookie-like? And if you like a cookie, should it be soft and chewy or slightly crunchy?
Do you pinch or fold the corners?
Do you fill it with traditional fillings, like apricot, prune, and poppy, or modern ‘anything goes’ fillings, which run the gamut from mint chocolate chip brownie to blueberry goat cheese?
Let’s back up a second. If you’re scratching your head wondering what a hamantash is, you’re probably like most of the general population.
This week is Purim, which celebrates the story of Esther when the Jews escaped from evil Haman’s plot of annihilation. Purim is a festival — whenever Haman’s name is mentioned during the reading of the Megillah, everyone boos and hisses and shakes gragers (noisemakers).
Children dress up in costumes, playing off the theme that Esther hid her own cultural identity from the king. But the BEST part of Purim? The hamantaschen.
Hamantaschen are made in a triangular shape as a reference to the supposedly triangular-shaped hat that Haman wore. Apparently, we eat hamantaschen (translation: Haman’s pockets) to symbolically destroy his memory — I’m not sure I quite grasp that connection, but let’s not dwell on that mere detail — let’s focus on the fact that hamantaschen are basically the perfect dessert.
The sugary dough combined with the fruit filling is an absolutely perfect pairing — light and sweet, sugary but not rich, a little bit cake, a little bit cookie, and a little bit fruity.
I grew up eating bakery-purchased hamantaschen, and the cookie part was always very cakey: dry, crumbly, and strangely yellowish-orange in color, and I’ve spent years trying to replicate that texture.
It turns out that perhaps I’m in the minority with my feelings on this — most recipes I come across specifically advertise that they’re more like a cookie, unlike those stale crumbly cakey hamantaschen of your childhood. Harrumph.
So, is this the recipe? The one that finally matches my childhood expectations and brings back a flood of memories? No, sadly, it is not. But it is very good, so I decided to go ahead and share – after all, I may never perfectly replicate the hamantaschen in my mind.
This is a little more cookie-like than I prefer – not quite crumbly enough. But the dough itself is very good and the hamantaschen mostly held their shape in the oven (see below for tips on this). If you, like most people, prefer your hamantaschen more cookie-like, you will love this.
So what’s the secret to a dough that is easy to roll out, generates a soft but not too soft cookie-like texture, and is still delicious? Using both butter AND oil! Butter provides a delicious flavor, but the texture is due to the oil. We can explain it all with my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
While the best flavor comes from butter, vegetable oil adds tenderness and moistness to baked goods. Because oil stays liquid at room temperature, dough made with vegetable oil stays softer and is less prone to drying out and tasting stale. Furthermore, vegetable oil is pure fat, unlike butter, which is roughly 20% liquid. Fat inhibits the formation of gluten, so a higher fat content helps prevent gluten strands from forming and toughening the dough during mixing.
The biggest challenge with hamantaschen is maintaining their shape. Corners tend to open while baking, spilling the (delicious) filling everywhere.
Here are my top tips for leak-proof hamantaschen:
If you're looking for a traditional cookie-like hamantaschen recipe, this is the dough you want!
Hamantaschen are best consumed within 3 days, as the fruit filling makes the dough a bit soggy afterward. To save for longer, freeze hamantaschen in a freezer bag and thaw at room temperature before eating.
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