Hamantashens are a traditional cookie shaped in a triangle, like Haman’s hat, made for the festive minor Jewish holiday of Purim. Haman is an evil character from the Purim story, read on Purim from a special book called the Megillah. The fillings for this cookie vary, including poppy seeds, cherry, apricot and strawberry fillings. Prune is a family favorite of ours. Recipes abound for these delicious cookies, but after much experimentation I have recently settled on this recipe, They can be enjoyed year round and several Jewish delis and bakeries bake them all year. They are always made at this time of year, during the holiday of Purim.
You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this delectable treat. My close Christian and Muslim neighbors and friends have looked forward to Purim and enjoyed these delicious cookies, along with our family over the years! It is like a super mini pie cookie, loved by all. I have made changes to make this recipe as nutrient dense as possible. Hope you enjoy them!
Yields: 24 good sized hamantashen. Recipe can easily be doubled to make more.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup prunes
- 1/2 cup organic raisins
- 1 Tbsp. organic maple syrup
- dash cinnamon and cloves
- 3 cups Honeyville blanched almond flour
- 1.5 cups arrowroot flour (extra for rolling)
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 3/4 cup organic maple syrup (for dough)
- 1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 plus 1/8th cup refined organic coconut oil or organic unsalted butter (melted)
Directions:
- In a medium sauce pan, add prunes and cover with filtered water. Bring water to boil and cook several minutes until fork goes easily into the prunes and they are well cooked.
- Drain water and place prunes in food processor, with raisins, Tbsp. maple syrup, cinnamon and cloves. Blend together until paste like consistency.
- Set prune filling aside
- Mix almond flour, arrowroot flour and salt in bowl
- Add melted coconut oil or butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract to flours and mix well
- Take wax paper or parchment paper and place on damp table counter or island
- Take small amounts of cookie dough and place on paper, topped with small amount of arrowroot flour
- Roll out dough into layer and use top end of glass to make circle shapes
- Using spatula lift up shapes and place onto stainless steel baking pans, topped with parchment paper
- Next place approximately one tsp. of prune filling into the middle of each circle
- Lift up the ends of circles to form triangles
- Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or at 325 degree in convection oven for 15 minutes. Check oven sooner to make sure cookies don’t over bake, since oven temperatures vary.
- Enjoy! These are great to use for gifts of food or shalach manot during the holiday. They are especially good right out of the oven, but taste wonderful the next day. They can be frozen for later use.
Written by Michelle Goldstein, Holistic Health to Go
