The origins of hamantaschen can be traced back to Eastern European filled pastries like tasche and tascherl, that were filled with either cheese, povidl (or powidl, prune jam,) meat etc.
The Jews adapted a poppy seed filled pastry for Purim, maybe because of its name – mohn in German is poppy seed, and mohn sounds like Haman. And so the name of the original pastry, mohn tasche (poppy seed sack or pocket) was changed to Hamantaschen.
Hamantaschen are called oznei Haman (Haman ears) in Israel, and there are Sephardi and Italian “Haman’s ears” sweet pastry ribbons, rolled to a shape that may resemble ears (Orecchie di Haman.)
The origins of eating the enemy’s ears may have come from the Christian tradition of eating small dumplings (pierogi like) called Judas ears on Good Friday, before Easter, to remember the day that Judas betrayed Jesus (according to Sefer HaMoadim by Yom-Tov Lewinsky, a book about Jewish festivals and holidays.) The Jews may have adopted the custom au contraire and made it their own. (There are also mushrooms called Judas ears or Jews ears, that relate to the same Christian belief, but does not relate to the Hamantaschen.)
I’ve found palmiers shaped buns recipes online (interestingly those are known in the USA as elephant ears cookies) from Slovakia and Poland named Easter Judas (Wielkanocne Judasze) or Judas in short, that are served during Easter remembering Judas’ betrayal. Some bake Judasze buns in the shape a twisted rope, and according to Podróże travel website (in Polish):
"Easter Judas, i.e. yeast cakes rubbed with honey, usually in the shape of a noose or a twisted rope, are traditionally baked in the evening on Holy Wednesday. Traditionally, whoever eats Judas at dawn on Holy Thursday will be protected all year round from human betrayal, snake bites and bee stings."
The original hamantaschen was made with yeast dough, a recipe that’s almost forgotten these days. But it’s tasty and comforting and for me, it brings back memories of my grandmother.
Ashkenazi yeast dough Hamantaschen
Course: Cakes and cookiesCuisine: Polish, Ashkenazi, Jewish, IsraeliDifficulty: Medium16
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minutesThe original hamantaschen was made with yeast dough, and recipe that’s almost forgotten these days. You can fill with homemade poppy seed filling, as in the recipe below, or with another traditional filling, povidl (or powidl, prune jam) available at European supermarkets and online.
I highly recommend using SAF Instant yeast (it’s available online and can keep for months in the fridge.)
When using instant yeast, you should skip the process of proofing the yeast.
If you’re using active dry yeast, start the recipe by proofing the yeast and continue as usual.
Poppy seeds are available in bulk online, and at most Eastern European and Middle Eastern supermarkets. Alternately, you can buy a few jars of poppy seeds from the spice rack at any chain supermarket.
This recipe requires you to grind the poppy seed. You can do it with either an electric coffee grinder or with a blender, preferably a powerful one, such as Vitamix. Try to grind the poppy seed close to when you’re ready to cook with it, as it becomes rancid pretty quickly, especially when ground. If you have to grind in advance, keep it in a sealed container in the freezer until you’re ready to use.
INGREDIENTS
10 oz. (2 cups) All purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (see note above)
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup warm milk or water
¼ cup soft butter or oil
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- For the poppy seed filling
½ cup whole or low-fat milk
¼ cup sugar
2 oz. finely ground poppy seeds (see note above)
2 tablespoons ground almonds (or ground cookies)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup golden raisins
- Egg wash
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
- If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST, skip to instruction number 4.
- If you’re using INSTANT YEAST, make the dough using a stand mixer with the dough hook. Put flour and yeast in the mixer’s bowl and mix with a fork. Add sugar, then turn mixer on medium-low speed and mix for a minute. Add egg and milk and continue to mix for about 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. With mixer on medium-low, add butter, a tablespoon at a time, then add lemon zest and salt. Mix for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed.
- now skip to instruction number 6.
- If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST you need to proof it first. Put the milk, yeast and a teaspoon of sugar in a glass and stir briefly. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it visibly foams.
- To make the dough use a stand mixer with the dough hook. Put flour in the bowl and make a well in the center. To the well add yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar and egg and mix for about 3 minutes on medium-low speed, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time, then add lemon zest and salt. Turn speed to medium-low and mix for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed. The dough is very soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour into in.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using a spatula, transfer dough into a lightly greased large bowl (I use Pam spray,) cover in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature, preferably in a warm space (near the oven, for example) until dough rises a little (it will not rise much), about 1 hour.
- Make the filling: Put milk, sugar and poppy seed in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the milk is absorbed and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the ground almond, butter and vanilla t until well incorporated, then remove from heat. Mix in raisins and let mixture cool completely.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a 3-inch cookie cutter at hand.
- Make the egg wash by mixing the egg with water. Set aside.
- Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin.
- Put dough on the dusted working surface, sprinkle it with a little flour and roll into a ⅛ inch thick square. Dip the cookie cutter into flour and cut out circles of dough. Reroll the dough as needed.
- Use your finger to brush a little of the egg wash around the edges of each circle.
- Use a tablespoon to mound the filling in the center of each circle, then press the filling to flatten it a little . Lift and pinch the edges of each circle in 3 places spaced evenly apart, to create a triangle; Leave only very little of the filling exposed in the center. Arrange on the baking sheet, spacing them an inch apart.
- Cover hamantaschen with kitchen towels and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Oven to 325 F degrees.
- Brush hamantaschen with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake hamantaschen for 20 minutes, until the dough feels fully baked and the color is golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Yeast dough hamantaschen are best served right from the oven. Cover them or freeze them as soon as they cool down (just as you would with bread.)
I have, for years, wondered why the only yeasted poppy seed hamantaschen I ever saw were the ones my Lithuanian grandmother used to make. Finally an answer! I do wonder if the canned poppy seed filling is comparable to the made from scratch. In any case thanks for all this information!
Thanks, Leslie! Unfortunately, no, canned poppy seed filling is nothing to compare to the home,are one. You do need to grind the poppyseeds in order to make the filling, but you can do that with a coffee grinder or with a very strong blender. After that, cooking the filling is very easy and the flavor is heavenly. It’s one of my favorite things. Nothing to compare to the bitter aftertaste of the canned ones. It’s really worth trying!
The cookie ones were never as good as the pastry Bubbie used to make when I was little. Thank you for this recipe that helps me reclaim some of those special times and my roots.
Thank you for sharing!
Shalom, Vered. I’m enjoying reading your recipes & thinking about what I’ll make first. The Tahini Bread sounds great, but I’m wondering if a flour-like ingredient is missing? Without the optional garbanzo bean flour, it’s just eggs, tahini, honey, baking powder, and salt. I’m probably wrong, but very curious!
Thank you/toda rabah,
Shari
That’s exactly what it suppose to be! this recipe started as a Passover bread recipe. I was doubtful at first too, but it actually works! It’s great for people who cannot have gluten, and great for Passover and year round.
Well, then I’ll definitely have to try it!
Thx!
I’d like to make this recipe but I’m a little confused by the instructions for using instant yeast. Do I go from #2 and making the dough to #6 and making the filling? The way the instructions are numbered aren’t clear to me. Thanks!
Hi Susan! You’re absolutely right! I fixed the numbers and I hope it’s clearer now.thank you and happy Purim! Vered
Thank you, it’s perfectly clear now. I don’t have my grandmother’s recipe but she made soft hamantaschen and your recipe looks the closest. I’m excited to try it! Happy Purim to you, too!
Not sure if English is your native language, but just wish to point out that the past form of grind is ground. (I’m an ESL teacher.)
Hebrew is my native language. Thanks!