Hamantaschen for Purim

My hamantaschen may not be the prettiest cookies, but they are very tasty. I made the traditional dough but took liberties with the fillings. I made a chocolate orange filling, strawberry, dates, and the popular prune.

Hamantaschen, a triangular-shaped cookie, is served during the Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins today, March 23rd. There are a variety of fillings: chocolate ("sort of like a brownie nestled inside the cookie"), poppy seeds, or jam. This is my first attempt at recreating this recipe to make it easy to prepare. Not bad for a shiksa!

In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. (Esther 9:18). This day became known as Shushan Purim.

The book of Esther has a strong, personal meaning to me. How does the Book of Esther apply to us today?

God cares and loves his people. In the book of Esther, we see that God cares for and loves people. He set a plan in motion to save his people from their enemies.

Now that I have gone deep into theology, let's get baking. You'll need:

DOUGH

3/4 c softened butter

2/3 c sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp orange zest

2 1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1-5 Tbsp Water (until the dough is manageable but not wet)

FILLING

Prune filling: 1 c chopped prunes

1/2 c water

1/8 c orange juice

pinch of salt

1/3 c brown sugar.

Boil on the stove until the prunes are tender. I used my stick blender to puree the filling. You can use your food processor, or whatever works in your kitchen.

Use your imagination with the other fillings. These are your cookies and you can use fillings that your family likes.

I brought this dough together in the food processor by pulsing it. Once together, turn onto a floured board and form the dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for an hour.

When chilled, roll out THINLY on a floured board. Cut into circles (I know why circles if we're making triangles? It works, trust the process) Put a little filling in the center and fold one side, turn, fold the next side, turn (final turn), and put the last corner together.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet, at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Chag Purim sameach - Happy Purim!