This week, we had the pleasure of collaborating with Kenden Alfond, author of the Jewish Food Hero cookbook. As Kenden prepares to release her latest book, Jewish Sweets: A Worldwide Community Cookbook of 100 Dessert Recipes, on March 4th, we decided to try one of the recipes from her collection. And what better choice than Hamantaschen?!

With Purim just around the corner, we were excited to get into the festive spirit with this delicious treat. This particular recipe, contributed by Abby Forstot Shashoua, features a classic Mohn (poppy seed) filling. The instructions were easy to follow, and the results were delightful.

Scroll down for the full recipe, and don’t forget to click the link above to pre-order Kenden’s new book!

Hamantaschen with Poppy Seed Filling

Contributed by Abby Forstot Shashoua

Abridged  from Jewish Sweets, by Kenden Alfond

Dairy | Prep time: 3 to 3 ½ hours | Yield: 20-24 hamantaschen

Ingredients: 

For the Dough:

2 eggs

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

Orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups flour

1-5 teaspoons water

Egg wash (for folding)

Mohn Filling:

¾ cup poppyseed

⅛ cup butter (use non-dairy butter for pareve version)

½ cup milk

6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

For the Mohn filling: 

1. Melt together all ingredients (except the egg) in a sauce over medium heat. 
2. Remove ½ cup full and place in a prep set aside.
3. In the prep bowl, slowly fold in the beaten egg and mix thoroughly and then pour back into the saucepan - whisking constantly.
4. Continue to whisk over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 

For the Hamantaschen: 

1. Mix together all dough ingredients except the water, then add the water at the end. 
2. Tightly wrap the dough in cling wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for a few hours. 
3. Roll out the dough to ¼” thick and cut into 2-3” circles using a cookie cutter. 
4. Fill each circle with a teaspoon of your choice of filling. Use egg wash to seal the corners when folding. 
5. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.