HAMANTASH MASH-UP

                                            Hamantash Mash-up

After two Adars, Purim is finally in the air, which means… Time for hamantashen! There is nothing like that classic sugar cookie dough filled with jelly – raspberry (my personal favorite), apricot, prune, or even poppy. But sometimes, it’s fun to take an old classic and “mash it up” with new flavors and fillings. Let your imagination run wild – it’s venahapuch hu! From sweet to savory, I’ll provide some inspiration. A freilichen Purim!

Basic Hamantash Dough

I’ve tried so many hamantash doughs while searching for the best. This one wins the prize. The dough is soft and easy to roll out. Don’t skip the chill time- it’s a must! The addition of pareve cream cheese gives it a creamy rich flavor.

Ingredients

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup oil

½ cup Tofutti cream cheese

5 ½ cup flour 

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar, cream cheese, and oil until smooth and cream for about three minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time. Add all the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slightly flour a parchment paper and roll out dough to 1/8 thickness. Using a three-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Remove excess dough and fill with one teaspoon of filling. Pinch the corners and bake until the cookies begin to brown just slightly. 

Birthday Cake Hamantashen

If you are lucky enough to have a family member whose birthday is in Adar, like I do, you have a double reason to celebrate! I make these birthday cake hamantashen every year in honor of my son’s birthday and they are always a hit. I use white chocolate filing, which is available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

Ingredients

1 batch hamantash dough (from above – with the modification described below)

¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

1 container white chocolate filling 

1 white chocolate bar (dairy or pareve)

rainbow sprinkles for decorating

Directions

Prepare a batch of hamantash dough as directed above and add ¼ cup sprinkles into the batter along with the dry ingredients. Continue with the directions listed above. Fill with one teaspoon of white chocolate filling. Bake until slightly golden. When the hamantashen are cooled, melt white chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Dip half a hamantash into the chocolate and immediately dip into sprinkles. Allow chocolate to harden on a parchment paper.

Cheesecake Hamantashen

Cheesecake and hamantashen together?  Enough said! Honestly, after the fast, do we even need more? These also make a rich and decadent addition to your mishloach manos.

Ingredients

1 batch hamantash dough (from above, but replace Tofutti cream cheese with unwhipped cream cheese)

Filling

3-ounce white milk chocolate bar

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (unwhipped)

½ cup confectionary sugar

1 egg yolk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

3-ounce bar of milk chocolate (for decorating)

Directions

Roll out dough according to directions listed above. To prepare filling, melt white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Place one teaspoon of filling on the dough. Pinch closed. Bake until hamantashen begin to brown. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over cooled hamantashen.

Pastrami Eggroll Hamantashen 

These eggrolls will be the hit of your Purim party. They are baked, not fried, making them a healthy alternative to traditional eggrolls. They can be prepared in advance and frozen until ready to bake.

Ingredients

1 package round wonton wrappers

1 bag shredded cabbage

2 Tbsp. oil

1 small onion, chopped finely 

8 mushrooms, finely diced

1 small carrot, shredded

½ cup canned bean sprouts

1 6-ounce package of pastrami, sliced thinly

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

Directions

In a 10-inch skillet, sauté cabbage and onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables, mix, and cook an additional five minutes. Pour mixture into a colander and drain. Cool for 30 minutes. Add seasoning and pastrami. To assemble, place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Sprinkle water and press to seal. Place on a lined cookie sheet, generously spray with cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees until golden. Serve with duck sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Pulled Chicken Hamantashen

These are so delicious you can serve them all year round. Simply fold the pizza rounds in half and bake as instructed.

Ingredients

1 24-piece package pizza-dough rounds

1 egg

3 chicken cutlets

¼ cup Italian salad dressing

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. fish-free Worcester sauce or soy sauce

½ small onion, thinly sliced

½ cup barbecue sauce

Directions

Place all ingredients (except pizza-rounds and egg) in a crockpot and cook on high for three to four hours, or place in the oven on 220 degrees for five to six hours. When the chicken is fork-tender, allow to cool for 30 minutes. Shred with a fork. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each pizza-round with a heaping tbsp. of chicken. Fold the dough inwards to form a hamantash. Place on a lined cookie sheet. Brush with egg and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with barbecue sauce.