Happy Purim!

Purim is my FAVORITE Jewish holiday, and it's all thanks to a little triangle cookie...the Hamentashen. This is the very first thing that I learned how to bake with my mom, and have been making them every year ever since...(24 years to be exact)! So, I figured it was very fitting that this be the very first post for my new blog. Here is my great-grandmother's Hamentashen recipe...I promise you won't be disappointed. 

{me, age 3, making Hamentashen with my mom}

HAMENTASHEN RECIPE:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

favorite jams or preserves for filling

MAKING THE DOUGH

In a bowl beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Mix in the flour and salt until fully blended. Place the dough in the fridge overnight. (The dough will keep in for a few days if refrigerated.)

FORMING THE COOKIES

Preheat the over to 350F. On a lightly floured surface (I usually tape down some wax paper to make my rolling surface) roll out the dough so that it is about 1/4" thick. With either a round glass or cookie cutter, cut circles in the rolled dough. The dough can get sticky so make sure to keep it, as well as the surface a roller, lightly floured.

Drop a small amount of your chosen jam in the center of the cookie and pinch the dough to form a triangle. I like to really pinch or press the dough together so that it doesn't fall back open while baking. Traditional Hamentashen flavors to try are prune, cherry, strawberry, apricot, etc. I really love to try new combinations to see what works...recently I have made them with key lime, strawberry rhubarb, and chocolate peanut butter. All equally amazing.

Once you have filled a baking tray (leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each cookie), bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn a golden brown. You can adjust depending on how crunchy or chewy you like your Hamentashen! 

ENJOY!