Monday
March

21

2005
12:34 AM

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Hamentaschen, tasted on March 19, 2005 — Yet another Jewish holiday is coming up - Purim. The old joke sketches the outline for the backstory of just about every Jewish holiday: "they tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat". This is another one of those combined with sanctioned dressing up and silliness. As for the food, triangular fruit-filled pastries made to resemble the bad guy's ear or hat are one of the staples.

Historical perspective from my father the historian:

"Hamantaschen" were originally "montaschen" (German-yiddish for poppy seed pockets). But Jews couldn't resist the pun and began calling them "homantaschen". The tri-cornered bit was simply the way a circular bit of dough folded over came out. Note that in Hebrew, they are called "Haman's ears" and not "Haman's hats". The tri-cornered hat idea is a later innovation linked, presumably to the 18th century hat style. I would love to imagine that this had something to do with the hats of the Napoleonic French armies that liberated Jews from ghettos in the early 18th century. There are tales of the Jews eagerly swapping hats with the French soldiers, but this is usually linked to wanting to sport the tri-color (red white and blue little bits of cloth that were stuck into the Frenchmen's hats as flag-like symbols of France and liberty) rather than the hats themselves which, presumably, were just like the hats the Jews already wore.

Often at bakeries you'll find them (hamantaschen, not hats) filled with poppy seeds or prunes. My mom knows better than that. She has always made hers smaller, lighter, and stuffed with apples - sort of like a mini-apple pie.

On Saturday, Sivan (my three-and-a-half year old son) and I decided to take out his grandmother's recipe and make hamentaschen. They turned out just like she makes them - well just about like hers. There's no real substitute for her making them herself. Maybe we'll videotape her next time she does it. My mom says she adapted the following from a recipe by Lillian Kaplun, For the Love of Baking, page 47, published in Toronto 1960. Makes about fifty hamentaschen. Believe it or not, mine were even better the second day after they'd completely cooled.

Dough

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• juice of 1 regular orange

Filling

• 3 granny smith apples peeled and diced
• enough cinnamon and sugar to lightly coat (don't overdo the cinnamon)
• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat eggs until light and lemon colored.
• Add sugar gradually and beat mixture until thick.
• Add oil mixing well.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with orange juice.
• Dough will be somewhat sticky. Add flour in small amounts just until it's workable.
• Roll out dough thinly. Cut into 2 inch rounds.
• Put 1 teaspoon of filling on each piece, fold into a triangle pinching edges together.
• Brush with beaten egg white mixed with a little water.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown. Don't overbake. It's ok if they look a little light.
• Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a plate for more cooling.

You don't have to celebrate Purim to enjoy these little apple-turnover like pastries any time of year.