32 | MARCH 5 • 2020 

Arts&Life

dining in

I

t’
s easy to celebrate Purim 
because the rules are so few 
and the celebration so joy-
ous. And the hamentashen are 
so yummy. 
This year, make your whole 
day all about the 
triangle, rem-
iniscent of the 
three-cornered 
hat worn by the 
Purim villain, 
Haman. But 
make those tri-
angles savory as 
well as sweet. 
Here are some recipes to 
prepare for this fun holiday, 
when hamentashen star in 
mishloach manot (Purim treat 
baskets traditionally delivered 
to friends and family). Most of 
the recipes use prepared frozen 
puff pastry as their base, so 
they are even easier. 
The hardest part is folding 
the hamantaschen correctly. 
I’
ve tried to explain, but you 
can find folding tutorial videos 
online as well. 
And, if you still need a sweet 
dessert, use my easy sweet 
hamentashen recipe. It’
s the 
cookie kind, not the yeast type 
made at many bakeries. Enjoy! 

SALMON BASIL 
HAMENTASHEN

This makes a hamentashen

for four.

INGREDIENTS:

 1 sheet frozen puff pastry

 ¼ cup basil pesto, homemade or 

store bought

 3 cups ½-inch diced fresh salmon 

fillet (boneless and skinless) 

 1 cup shredded mozzarella 

cheese

 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Balsamic glaze, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F. 
Defrost the puff pastry 
according to the package 
instructions. Because the 
dough is usually rectangular, 
roll it with a floured rolling pin 
into a square. Turn each corner 
of the dough inward to make 
a rough circle. Transfer the 
dough to a parchment-lined 
rimmed baking sheet.
Use a fork, to prick the 
dough in several places to 
prevent it from puffing during 
baking.
Brush the pesto in a thin 
layer over the dough. Arrange 
the salmon over pesto, fol-
lowed by the mozzarella and 
the Parmesan. Season with 
kosher salt and pepper.
Fold the edges of the dough 
to make a large, triangular 
hamentashen: First, pull up the 
left side of the circle and fold 
it toward the center to make a 
flap that covers the left quarter 
of the circle. Pull the right side 

Easy recipes yield savory
and sweet Purim delights. 
Homemade 
Hamentashen

Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist

TOP: This hamentashen filled with 
salmon, feta and Parmesan can feed 
four. BOTTOM: Place diced salmon 
atop pesto, then add cheeses and 
fold into a triangle before baking.