Jews have dealt with the precarious nature of our life in the diaspora by feasting in the face of adversity. That phrase — “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!” — is never more true than on Purim. One of the key components to our perseverance for millennia in an often unfriendly world was, and remains, humour. And it was — and remains — funny to reduce our enemies into pastry and eat them.

Follow this link for homemade hamantaschen fillings.

TIP: I find it easiest to fill the hamantaschen while it’s on the surface, then gently lift and fold it closed in my hand before transferring it to the prepared baking sheet.

INGREDIENTS:

• 470g (3 ¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 180ml (3/4 cup) of oil
• 60ml (1/4 cup) of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla 
• Filling of your choice: Jam, fruit preserve, poppy seed filling, date spread, chocolate spread, Nutella (or follow this link for homemade fillings)

METHOD:

1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a wooden spoon), mix together the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, zest, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Combine to make the dough: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until all the flour is incorporated. You should have a smooth dough that looks more like cake batter than cookie dough — don’t worry, it will firm up in the fridge.
4. Chill the dough: Refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
5. Prepare the oven and trays: Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350℉). Line two cookie sheets with baking paper and set aside.
6. Knead and divide the dough: Tip the chilled dough onto a well-floured surface or baking mat and knead a couple of times. Divide the dough into four roughly equal pieces.
7. Roll out the dough: Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough using a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a British pound coin (about a poker chip).
8. Cut out circles: Use a 3-inch cookie cutter or a large glass to cut as many circles as possible. Reroll the scraps and cut out more.
9. Fill the circles: Place no more than a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each circle.
10. Shape the hamantaschen: Fold in the sides to create a triangle. If the dough is dry and not sticking, brush the edges with egg wash or a little water before folding.
11. Bake: Place the hamantaschen on the prepared trays and bake for 15–18 minutes, until golden brown.
12. Cool completely: Let the hamantaschen cool fully — especially if filled with jam or jelly, as the hot filling can burn your mouth (which makes it harder to eat more hamantaschen!).

MAKE AHEAD:

1. Baked hamantaschen will keep for 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or well wrapped in the freezer for a month.