This Easy and Nostalgic Hamantaschen Recipe Is Destined for a Cookie Comeback
As much as we adore celebrating the latest cookie trends, there’s something undeniable about the appeal of a classic holiday cookie.
This Hamantaschen Cookie recipe actually sits at the axis of both of those concepts. We predicted a big comeback of nostalgic cookies in 2024, and Hamantaschen are certainly that. According to our pals at The Spruce Eats, they date back to Germany in the 1500s.
Think of buttery Hamantaschen like citrusy-flavored Thumbprint Cookies that are triangular rather than round. Read on to learn more about the history of Hamantaschen Cookies, then stick around for the easy cookie recipe (as well as some Hamantaschen Cookie variations) so you can bake up a major—and delicious—dose of classic cookie goodness.
What Are Hamantaschen Cookies?
Although you can certainly make them any time of year, Hamantaschen (pronounced “huh-muhn-tah-shen”) Cookies are triangle-shaped pastries that are traditionally served as part of the celebrations for Purim. For the uninitiated, Purim is a Jewish holiday that occurs each spring. It involves reading the Book of Esther to remember when Jews were spared from a massacre during the Persian empire. Today, those who celebrate Purim with food, gatherings, charitable gifts or gestures, and sometimes costumes.
One of those traditional foods of Purim? Hamantaschen Cookies.
In German “mohn” refers to poppy seed, which is often featured in Hamantaschen filling, and “taschen” means pockets. These poppy seed pockets may have earned their “haman” moniker to refer to the evil character involved in the Purim story. While it’s now believed that this is a rumor, some once thought that Haman wore a three-cornered hat that somewhat resembles a triangle, hence the shape. Another hypothesis is that the three sides represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; three key players in Judaism who were said to have weakened Haman in a way that helped save the Jews.
Regardless of exactly how these cookies earned their name, we know exactly how to describe them: buttery, shortbread-like, tender, stuffed, and scrumptious.
As we mentioned, poppy seed filling is traditional, however, jam, jelly, preserves, fruit butter, chocolate, Nutella, and even cheese are sometimes inside instead. (We’re big fans of apricot preserves, strawberry preserves, apple butter, poppy seed filling—or a mix of two or more of those for a multi-colored cookie tray!)
Once you’ve mastered our basic Hamantaschen Cookie recipe, feel free to get creative and customize this cookie recipe as desired. For a thoroughly modern riff, consider one of these creative Hamantaschen filling ideas:
- Dulce de leche with a pinch of flaky sea salt
- A piece of dark chocolate and a few mini marshmallows (for a s’mores-like experience)
- Cookie butter
- Chia seed jam
- Pistachio butter
- Matcha milk jam
How to Make Hamantaschen
Mastering how to make Hamantaschen Cookies is a cinch.
- Mix the shortbread-style cookie dough: Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and softened butter together, then add the egg, vanilla, lemon zest (for a hint of citrus essence), baking powder, salt, and flour. Stir in any remaining flour with a spoon or spatula, then shape this into a ball.
- Chill the cookie dough: Since we’re starting with softened butter, chilling cookie dough makes it easier to handle. We recommend refrigerating the cookie dough for about 30 minutes, or until it’s firm enough to be able to manipulate.
- Roll and cut the dough: On a flour-dusted clean surface, roll the chilled dough into a ⅛-inch thick rectangle. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to create rounds. Reroll the scraps as needed to make about 24 circles.
- Stuff and shape the cookies: In the center of each circle, place a rounded teaspoon of your chosen filling. Using a pastry brush or a clean finger, brush the edge of each round with water and fold three sides of the dough over the filling and towards the center, pinching where the edges meet to form a triangle with a small opening in the middle.
- Bake the cookies: Bake on greased cookie sheets in a 350° F oven until the edges are golden, or for 10 to 15 minutes.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you think your cookie dough may have gotten too warm during the rolling, filling, and freeze the formed Hamantaschen for 10 minutes prior to baking. This will help prevent the stuffed cookies from leaking or unfolding during the baking process.
