Every year as Purim approaches I start to think about the different flavours I want to make. The old standards are always appreciated by different family members (and I’ll share some of those recipes too) — I’m always happy to have an apricot or prune filled cookie while others in my family are partial to poppy seed and chocolate. But sometimes I like to try new flavours or rework flavours I know I love into a filling for these triangular baked treats.

Hamantashen are cookies, shaped as triangles to represent Haman, the villian from the Purim story. Hamantashen is Yiddish and means Haman’s Purse or Bag. In Israel, they are called Oznei Haman or Haman’s Ears. Whatever you call them, they are delicious — especially these ones!

The dough is a simple one — I use the same dough when I’m using prune, poppy seed, date or fruit/jam fillings. For those fillings, I’ll often add some lemon zest to the dough for a slightly different flavour. For this recipe, the plain, vanilla scented dough is perfect — delicious but doesn’t overpower the filling.

I use raspberry jam in these — whichever brand you like, though I tend to use seedless. Strawberry, apricot or cherry would be delicious with the almond as well. Use any fruit flavour jam you like.

These will keep well for a few days, wrapped well or in a plastic bag, or freeze them before drizzling the glaze on top. Then thaw and ice when you’re for them. The recipe makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen hamantaschen.

Dough Ingredients

• 114 grams butter, softened
• 168 grams granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 315 grams all-purpose flour

Almond Filling

• 28 grams butter, softened
• 60 grams sugar
• 5 grams AP flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• pinch of salt
• 100 grams ground almonds
• approximately 1 cup of jam of your choice

Almond Icing

• 200 grams icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 Tbsp water

In a stand mixer, use the paddle to cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the baking powder, salt and flour and mix on low until just combined and a ball of dough forms.  Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into disks about 1-inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled, about one hour.

While the dough rests in the fridge, make the almond filling. Use a spoon to cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add the flour and mix through, then add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the extracts and a pinch of salt and mix through. Add the ground almonds and mix well. Transfer to a piping bag (or use a freezer bag) and set aside until you’re ready to assemble.

When you’re ready to make the hamantaschen, preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Roll out one piece of dough on a well-floured work-surface, about ⅛-inch thick.  Use a 3-inch round cutter or glass to cut out circles of dough. Collect the scraps to re-roll.

Place a little raspberry jam in the center of each circle, then pipe or spoon approximately 1 tsp. of almond filling on top. Bring 3 sides of the dough together to make a triangle over the filling. Pinch the three corners together to seal them and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake on the middle racks of the oven for 10 minutes, switch the trays if you’re baking more than one at a time and bake another 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

You can freeze the hamantaschen now, without the icing.  When you’re ready to serve them,  thaw them and ice. If you’re making them to serve/eat  now,  cool completely and ice.

To make the icing, add all of the icing ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a spoon to mix well. I like to transfer the icing to a piping bag (or use a freezer bag) to pipe zigzagging lines of icing over the cookies.

Let the iced hamantaschen sit on a baking sheet for a few hours or overnight while the icing dries. Once dry you can store them in an air-tight container on the counter for a few days.