Purim is one of the most anticipated Jewish holidays, since it is a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes, and, of course, delicious treats. The most traditional treat served at the Purim celebration, which is held on the 14th night of the Jewish month of Adar on the Hebrew Calendar (usually in March), is Hamantashen. Hamantashen are three-cornered filled cookies that are said to resemble Haman’s hat or Haman’s ears.

For those who don’t know the story, which is found in the Old Testament in the book of Esther, here it is in a nutshell: In the city of Shushan, Vashti, Esther, who was Jewish, was chosen as queen to King Ahasuerus.

Haman, who was an evil prime minister of the king, hated the Jews and devised a plot to kill them. He went to the king and convinced him to issue a proclamation which ordered the destruction of all of the Jews.

At the risk of her own life, Ester went to the king without being summoned and revealed to him that she was Jewish and pled for him to save her people from Haman’s evil plot. When the King learned of Haman’s plan, he was furious, and issued an order to have Haman and his sons killed instead of the Jews.

While there are many recipes for Hamantashen, the following is my favorite because it contains lots of butter and zest from both a lemon and an orange. Even if you’re not planning to celebrate Purim, you’ll want to try these delicious cookies.

Hamantashen

About 7 dozen cookies

Dough
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

4 cups (about) filling of your choice:

Apricot Pecan Filling
Raspberry Walnut Coconut Filling
Microwave Poppyseed Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 325°


2. Dough: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.


3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


4. Add the vanilla.


5. Mix the dry ingredients and the peels.


6. Add to the creamed mixture blending well.


7. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into 3" circles.


8. Spray or brush with a little water.


9. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each round and fold the sides up in thirds, pinching to resemble a 3-cornered hat.


10. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 97 Calories from Fat 39
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 40% Protein 4% Carb. 56%

Nutrient Amount per % Daily
Serving Value
Total Fat 4 g 5%
Saturated Fat 2 g 7%
Cholesterol 13 mg 3%
Sodium 44 mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 14 g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 1%
Sugars 3 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 1%