Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Effortless Entertaining: Hamantaschen Recipe Roundup for Purim

Purim is like Carnivale for Jews. It's a holiday where you're encouraged to excess. The most traditional treat for Ashkenazi Jews is Hamantaschen. Most recipes are sweet, but for cubes, who prefers savory to sweet, I've included a mix in my recipe roundup.
 
Roundup of Five Hamantaschen Recipes for Purim
 
You might be curious why there's so many baked goods available at Purim. The easy answer is Passover is coming. Before Passover starts, all chametz (leavening) needs to be removed from the kitchen. (Ashkenazi have the strictest definition of chametz, which includes rice, corn, and beans!) To avoid waste, bakers attempt to use up all of their flour to avoid having to throw it out. The result? Tons of desserts.
 
Want to try making Hamantaschen for yourself? Here are a few recipes sure to please anyone's tastebuds (from top left clockwise):
Some additional recipes (not pictured above) that I came across that might be of interest are: Non-Dairy Hamantaschen Dough; Decadent Chocolate Hamantaschen; and Non-Dairy, Dairy, and Yeast Hamantaschen Dough recipes with Sweet and Savory Filling Recipes.
 
What's your favorite Hamantaschen recipe?
 
In my searches, I didn't come across a gluten-free Hamantaschen recipe. If you have one, please share as I'd love to try it.
 
So, you're probably wondering how a recipe that requires you to prepare dough a day ahead of time qualifies as effortless? Simple, you can make them up to five days in advance of your event provided you store these treats out of sight and in airtight containers.
 
Bon Appetit!
 
Eden!
 
Credits: All layouts designed by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life. Images taken by (from top left clockwise) Claire Gallam for She Knows; Amy Kritzer for What Jew Wanna to Eat; Tamar Warga for Aish.com; J. Pollack Photography for Cupcake Project; Amy Kritzer for What Jew Wanna Eat.