Hamentaschen Cookies

by Daniel Rogov

For adults and children alike, the food most often associated with Purim are the cookies known in Hebrew as osnei haman (literallly, Haman's Ears). Although these can be purchased in every bake shop in the land, there is great fun to making these marvelous cookies at home. I personally guarantee that the following recipes will delight everyone who samples them.

For the Dough:
21/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
21/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg, beaten lightly
3/4 cup milk
filling of choice (immediately following)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well. Add the milk, melted butter and egg mix again. On a floured board knead well and then roll out to about 1/4 cm. thickness. Cut out rounds about 6 cm. in diameter.

On the center of each round place 1 heaping tsp. of the filling. Pinch the three sides of the round together to form a triangle and place individually formed cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius until the cookies are golden brown (25 - 30 minutes). (Yields about 30 cookies).

Date Filling:
4 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dry or sweet red wine
1/4 cup butter
3 tsp. cinnamon

Place the dates, wine and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture is paste-like (about 8 - 10 minutes). Allow to cool 10 minutes and then stir in the cinnamon and nuts.

Prune Filling:
1 cup prunes, pitted
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground poppy seeds
21/2 tbs. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Soak the prunes in water to cover for about 3 hours. Drain and chop finely. Combine all the ingredients (except the vanilla) in a saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over a low flame until the mixture thickens (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then stir in the vanilla.

Raisin and Nut Filling:
11/4 cups seedless raisins
1 cup milk
1/2 cup each ground poppy seeds, chopped walnuts and sugar
3 tbs. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Soak the raisins in water to cover for 2 hours. Drain and chop finely. Combine all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, in a saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over a low flame until the mixture thickens (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool for 15 - 20 minutes and then stir in the vanilla.

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.