18 March 14 • 2019
jn
PHOTOS COURTESY PAULA SHOYER
P
urim is one of the most exciting
holidays on the Jewish calendar,
telling the story of Persian Queen
Esther’
s wily saving of the kingdom’
s
Jews from the evil Haman. This year, the
holiday begins the evening of March 20
through March 21.
Its signature food, the triangle-shaped
hamantashen, has gotten a facelift in
recent years, trending away from tradi-
tional poppy seed and prune fillings to
more interesting fare that even includes
gluten-free and savory fillings.
Cookbook author and French-trained
pastry Chef Paula Shoyer, based in
Chevy Chase, Md., offers several creative
recipes to try.
For more recipes, including a glu-
ten-free dough, go to jewishnews.com.
SALTED CARAMEL HAMANTASHEN
(DAIRY)
Yields 4 dozen
Dough
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp. orange juice
3½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. black pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra
for dusting parchment and dough
Caramel Filling
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. water
½ cup whipping cream
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ tsp. salt
To make the caramel, place the sugar
and water in a small, heavy-bottomed
saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat
until sugar melts. After several minutes,
the sugar will start to color. Stir the mix-
ture so all the sugar browns. When it is
a uniform amber color, turn heat to low,
remove saucepan from heat and add the
cream. The mixture will bubble up. Add
the butter and salt and stir. Return to
the heat and cook for 1 minute, or until
mixture is smooth. Remove from heat,
transfer to a bowl and let cool. Chill in
the fridge for at least a half hour to thick-
en the caramel. Store in the fridge for up
to five days.
To make the dough, preheat oven to
350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with
parchment. You will bake in batches.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs,
sugar, oil and orange juice. Add the bak-
ing powder, pepper and flour and mix
until the dough comes together. I like to
use my hands for this because it kneads
the dough well. Divide the dough in half.
Take another two pieces of parchment
and sprinkle flour on one, place one
dough half on top and then sprinkle a
little more flour on top of the dough.
Place the second piece of parchment
on top of the dough and roll on top of
the parchment until the dough is about
¼-inch thick. Every few rolls, peel back
the top parchment and sprinkle a little
more flour on the dough.
Use a 2- to 3-inch glass or round
cookie cutter to cut the dough into cir-
cles. Place a a little less than a teaspoon
of the filling in the center and then fold
in three sides to form a triangle, leaving
a small opening in the center. Pinch
the three sides very tightly. Place on the
prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the
rest of the dough and re-roll and cut any
dough scraps you have. Place the cookies
sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes; this
helps the hamentashen hold their shape
and not open up while baking.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until
the bottoms are lightly browned. Slide
the parchment onto racks to cool the
cookies. If desired, drizzle any remaining
caramel over the cookies. Store covered
with plastic or in an airtight container at
room temperature for five days or freeze
for up to three months.
SPANOKOPITA HAMANTASHEN
Yields 24 pastries
Frozen puff pastry, 1 package
of 2 sheets
1 tsp. kosher salt
10 ounces baby spinach leaves
3 Tbs. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Za’
atar spice
3 Tbs. soy cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
Sesame seeds
Thaw puff pastry according to pack-
age directions. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cover two cookie sheets or pans with
parchment paper.
Bring a large saucepan of water to
boil and add some salt. Add the spinach
leaves and cook for 30 seconds. Drain.
Once the spinach cools, squeeze out as
much water as you can.
To prepare the filling, place the spin-
ach on a cutting board and chop roughly.
Place into a medium bowl. Add the
chopped onion, lemon juice, oil, Za’
atar
and mix well with a fork. Add the cream
cheese and mash into the spinach as best
as possible. Add salt and black pepper
to taste.
When the pastry is thawed, sprinkle a
little flour on the parchment and unroll
the pastry on top. Use a rolling pin to
roll the pastry to smooth out the creases.
Every few rolls, lift up the dough and
sprinkle a little flour underneath.
Use a 3-inch drinking glass or round
cookie cutter to cut the dough into cir-
cles. Use a metal flat blade spatula to lift
the circle and place on another spot on
the parchment. Brush the circle with the
beaten egg. Place a generous teaspoon of
filling in the center and then fold in the
three sides towards the middle to form
a triangle, leaving a small opening in the
center. Pinch the three sides together
very tightly. Place on the prepared cook-
ie sheets.
When all the pastries are shaped,
pinch the corners tightly a second time.
Brush pastries with the remaining beaten
egg and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top
and on the sides. Bake for 25 minutes or
until golden.
Store in the fridge for up to four days;
reheat in the oven until crisp. May be
made four days in advance. ■
From gluten-free to savory, these recipes enhance Purim celebrations.
Creative
Hamantashen
jews d
in
the
Purim