3 Ways to Avoid Hamantaschen Headaches this Purim

Purim doesn't have the latkes of Hanukkah, the Honey Cake and strudel of Rosh Hashana, the Cheese Cake of Shavuos, or the meringues, macaroons, and mousse cakes that Passover does. However, it does have the haimish and more modest hamentaschen. (Haman’s pockets). Moreover, it actually has a commandment to make a L’Chaim! How can you not love a holiday on which the Rabbis command you to drink until you can't tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai?"

The holiday in 2021, begins Thursday evening February 25, and lasts until Shabbat on the 26th, and is one of the most joyous on the Jewish calendar. Purim commemorates a time when the Jews of Persia and the entire Middle East were once again saved from extinction. This time, by the Persian King’s advisor, Haman. Just another example of “they tried to kill us, G-d saved us, now let’s eat! The word "purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to select the date for the massacre of the Jews…

This year, the Feast of Purim will be during the day of February 26th. The 2 triangular treats that are customarily eaten on Purim are hamentaschen and kreplach, a meat-stuffed triangle dumpling often served in chicken soup.

Hamentaschen often have an oil crust (dairy-free) so they can be eaten during the feast on Purim Day. Traditional fillings include prune, poppy seed, and fruit preserves. Modern fillings include date-nut, fig-orange, apple-caramel, and any other teaspoon of sweet joy one can conjure up!

I prefer to eat a dairy, fish, or vegetarian meal on Purim, so I can enjoy buttery, dairy-filled hamentaschen. My mother has always baked hamantaschen with a cream cheese crust…it just wouldn’t be Purim without them!

During Purim, it is customary to hear the story of our heroine, Wonder Woman Esther, and her righteous uncle Mordechai. Carnival-like celebrations are popular on Purim as well as watching the kids perform plays, and feasting and partying with friends and family.

Back to my hamentaschen that miraculously don’t leak.

1. A Thick Fill It is critical to use a filling that is both sticky and moist enough so the filling spreads a bit, but also does not dry out. Hamantaschen are rather flat cookies, and using a fruit preserve that will liquefy can prove disastrous, as they ooze, leak, and then burn into even flatter jelly-coated pancakes. Fillings such as fruit preserves, Nutella, peanut butter (or other nut butter) will keep their shape better than say, dulce de leche alone or a runny jelly.
   

2. Pinch and Seal Well Don’t get lazy when pinching your hamantaschen corners. Make sure you pinch those corners nice and tightly. Or, even better…after you brush a lightly beaten egg on the inside flaps of the circle, alternate the flaps for a hermetic hamantaschen seal.
   

3. Chill Out But the key step for ensuring your cookies keep their shape is to CHILL THEM WELL. That’s right — after you roll, fill, and shape your cookies, pop those cuties back into the fridge for 10 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to ensure they keep their shape.
   

Back to the beauty contest…The story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther and is read from a scroll (megillah). Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman wins the Persia-wide beauty contest and is chosen to be married to the Persian king. An orphan, Esther was raised by her uncle Mordechai. Haman, an adviser to the king, hated Mordechai, who refused to bow down to him.

Haman plots to execute all the Jews, because of his hatred of Mordechai. So, Esther reveals the plan to the king — and mentions for the first time that she is Jewish. As a result, Haman is hanged on the gallows he built for Mordechai. Now let’s eat.