Hamantaschen are triangular filled cookies traditionally baked for the Jewish holiday of Purim. The dough is folded up around a filling, leaving a little of it showing at the center. Poppy seed is the classic filling, but jam is one of the easiest and most popular options, and a good use for homemade preserves.
Traditional fillings
Poppy seed (mohn) and prune (lekvar) are the traditional fillings. Chabad.org, a popular recipe source, notes that strawberry and apricot jam have also become very traditional, and many families also use chocolate, dates, cheese or peanut butter. If you are cooking for someone with dietary needs, check labels, as jams can contain added ingredients. Some people keep their hamantaschen dairy-free or pareve, which the dough below supports because it uses oil instead of butter.
Choosing a jam
The jam is the most important variable for success.
- Thick is better. A runny jam bubbles and leaks out as the cookie bakes. Thick preserves, apricot jam and jams with a good set work best.
- Smooth or finely chopped fruit. Large fruit chunks make the cookies hard to fold. Chop them or choose jam with small pieces.
- Not too sweet. Apricot, raspberry and sour cherry add tang that balances the sweet dough.
- If the jam seems loose, simmer it gently in a small pot for a few minutes, stirring, until thicker, then cool it completely. Another option is to stir in a spoonful of fine cookie or cake crumbs. Both are common baker’s tricks rather than standard rules, so adjust to your jam.
If you make your own jam, see our beginner’s guide to making jam, or our blackberry jelly guide for how a pectin set is achieved. Jelly is smooth and holds its shape when cool, and works well as a filling.
Dough ingredients
This follows the Chabad.org dough, which makes about 20 cookies:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 to 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- About 1 teaspoon jam per cookie
Method
- Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and the baking powder, and mix.
- Add the remaining flour gradually until you have a soft ball of dough that is not sticky. Stop adding flour as soon as it comes together, since too much makes the dough dry and hard to seal.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, fairly thin, and cut circles with a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass.
- Put about a teaspoon of jam in the center of each circle.
- Fold the sides up to make a triangle (see below) and pinch the corners tightly.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F (about 175 C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Ovens vary, so check early.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes. The jam is very hot; wait before biting.
A butter-based dough, like the one from the Jewish Food Society, is chilled at least 1-1/2 hours, rolled to about 1/4 inch and cut into 3-inch circles, then baked at 375 F for about 15 minutes. Butter doughs are richer but need chilling to be workable.
Folding so they stay closed
The most common complaint is hamantaschen that spring open in the oven. Tips from experienced bakers:
- Keep the dough fairly thin.
- Do not overfill. One teaspoon is plenty for a 3-inch circle.
- Pinch the corners tightly and seal them well. Brush the edges with a little water if the dough is dry.
- Close the cookie more than you think necessary, leaving only a small opening at the center.
- Avoid adding extra flour.
To fold, imagine the circle as a clock: bring the top edge down to the center, then the lower left and lower right edges up to meet it, overlapping slightly at the corners, and pinch.
Common baking mistakes
- Using runny jam or too much of it
- Rolling the dough too thick
- Not sealing the corners
- Overbaking, which makes them dry
- Baking on a greased sheet instead of parchment, which lets cookies spread
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Cookies with jam filling can also be frozen between sheets of parchment, but check texture after thawing. If your filling contains dairy (cream cheese, for example), refrigerate.
FAQ
Can you mix jam into cookie dough? You can stir small amounts into some doughs, but the jam adds moisture and sugar and changes how the dough bakes. Most cooks keep jam as a filling or swirl rather than mixing it in fully, unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
What is the traditional filling for hamantaschen? Poppy seed and prune are the best-known, with apricot and other jams widely used too.
What are other traditional recipes for Purim? Many families make festive foods such as kreplach or filled pastries and send gift baskets of food (mishloach manot). Customs vary, so check with your own family or community.
If you are baking more with jam, try our jam drops and jam fingers.