Recipe | Haman's Pockets (Purim)

A Taste of Jewish Holiday Food

Purim is a joyous Jewish festival when children dress up in costumes to listen to the Old Testament Scroll of Esther read in synagogue. Every time the name of the villian, Haman is said the listeners hiss and shake noise-makers to drown out the reader.

Food baskets filled with special Purim pastries such as Haman's Pockets (Hamantashen or Oznai Haman) are exchanged, and a special Purim Feast that lasts late into the night is shared with family and friends. This year, the Jews will celebrate Purim on Sunday, March 20. Read more ...

Hamantashen is a triangular-shaped cookie filled with a variety of sweet options. However, it is most traditional to fill the pastry with poppy seed filling. The source of the pastry was poppy seed treats called "mantashen."

Enjoy this recipe for "Edible Geometry" via The Ulterior Epicure.

Dough

½ cup (125 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 egg
2 (500 ml) cups flour
2 tsp. (10 ml) baking powder
2 tbsp. (30 ml) milk
2-3 drops of pure lemon extract

Cream butter and sugar, and add egg. Sift flour and baking powder together and add a little to creamed mixture. Add milk, then remaining flour. Mix in flavoring. Roll dough out 1/8 to ¼ inch (2.5 to 5 mm) thick. Cut into rounds, dot each with a spoonful of filling (see below), form into triangles, and bake at 375 degrees (190 C) for 15 to 30 minutes until delicately browned. Read Cook’s note.

Poppy Seed Filling

1 cup (250 ml) poppy seed
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 oz. (30 g) butter
2 tbsp. (30 ml) honey
1 tart apple, grated

Bring poppy seed and milk to boil, add butter and honey, and boil until thick. Cool, then add grated apple.

Apricot Filling

1 lb. (450 g) dried apricots
1 cup (250 ml) honey
1 tbsp. (15 ml) orange rind, grated
3 tbsp. (45 ml) orange juice

Soak apricots overnight in water to cover. Drain, then puree. Combine with honey, orange rind and juice.

Prune & Walnut Filling

1 lb. (500 g) prunes, pitted
1 cup (250 ml) raisins
2 tbsp. (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp. (5 ml) lemon rind, grated
½ cup (125 ml) sugar
1 tbsp. (15 ml) honey
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Soak prunes overnight in cold water, or for two hours in hot water. Drain. Chop prunes and raisins. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and blend in a blender until roughly pureed. Mix in the walnuts.

Cherry Filling

2 1/2 cup (675 ml) dried pitted cherries
1/2 cup (175 ml) raisins
3 tbsp. (45 ml) lemon juice
1 cup juice, preferably cranberry
1/8 cup sugar

Combine juice, cherries, and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer on low until the juice has reduced into a syrup. Remove from heat and cool. Pour into a blender and add lemon juice and raisins. Blend until roughly pureed.

Yield: About 22 cookies


Find More Recipes

1. Full Plate Thurs. at Miz H's C. Cottage
2. Ult. Recipe Swap Thurs at Life as Mom
3. Fri. Bloghop at 20th Cent. Housewife
4. Friday Swap at Groc. Cart Challenge
5. Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots & Jello
6. Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen
7. Sunday Showcase at Under the Table
8. Mouth. Mon at A Southern Fairy Tale
9. This Wk's Crav. at Mom's Crazy Cooking
10. Tasty Tues at Beauty and Bedlam
11. Tempt Tum. Tues. at Blessed w/ Grace
12. Del. Dishes on Tues. at It's a Blog Party
13. W-F-M-W at We Are THAT Family

Photos: (1) joshbousel, (2) FotoFyli, (3) dremiel, (4 & 5) ulteriorepicure (Flickr)



Which Jewish holiday foods do you like to prepare?