I’ve had some CRAZY times coming up with some hamantaschen recipes for Purim this year. I mean bland cookie + filling = boatload of possibilities. Yesterday I showed you my heart shaped hamantaschen perfect for Valentine’s Day and Purim.  Because if there is one thing I like it’s multi-tasking. Take a look at the recipe– I’ll wait.
Cute, right? I love to use some of my favorite flavor combos to reinvent this classic cookie, so as I was downing a gallon of Neapolitan ice cream while watching Sex and the City reruns brainstorming ideas it hit me. Strawberry, chocolate and vanilla would make the PERFECT Purim treat. Neapolitan Hamantaschen!
The genius part is these can also be used for Valentine’s Day or Purim. Because they are pink! And hamantaschen. In case you needed that explanation.
Neapolitan Hamantaschen
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup aka 4 oz), room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 for egg wash
- Red food coloring if desired
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¾ cups flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (use 1 teaspoon for pouffier, softer cookies)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate nut butter homemade or store bought
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 few drops vanilla extract
- Water
Instructions
- Puree strawberries in a food processor until blended and set aside.
- In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add egg, strawberries, food coloring, zest and vanilla until combined. Add flour and mix just until uniform color. Dough should be slightly sticky. Form dough into a large ball and chill overnight.
- When you are ready to make your hamantaschen, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/4 - 1/8 inch thick. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter to cut circles in the dough. The top of a wine glass works too! Roll out the scraps and recut into circles.
- Then take a teaspoon of the nut butter and put it in the center of each circle.
- Don’t add any more- the filling will spread to fill the cookie, and anymore would just run over the top making for an ugly hamantaschen.
- Fold two sides together overlapping at the bottom, and then fold the top down and secure. Freeze for 30 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Use the last egg as an egg wash to give the hamantaschen shine and help it hold its shape. Then bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool. Mix powdered sugar with vanilla extract and enough water to get a thick glaze.
- Drizzle over hamantaschen, let harden and enjoy!
LOVE this idea–delicious and gorgeous–how could it get any better?
Thank you! They are super tasty.
Beautiful !! Must be delicious !
Thanks “fan”!
These look gorgeous!
Thanks!!
Thanks for including a pic that gives an idea of how to shape the hamantaschen, seen many recipes today but not one helpful hint about the shape.
These look delicious and appetizing.
Of course! The key is to over lap the edges like you were securing a cardboard box, if that make sense. Alternate over/under for each side so it’s nice and secure. None of mine opened up!
I remember eating the basic version when visiting my bubbe in Queens as a kid. These are awesome!
These are adorable…as are the originals! I thought out loud that I might make these and my Hub said “they’re complicated.” Sounds like a challenge to me!
Thanks! You can totally make them- they aren’t too tricky at all. Plus you can make the dough one day and then shape the next to break up the work!
Chocolate nut butter – like Nutella?
You could use Nutella- I used a chocolate almond butter they sell by the peanut butter.
Well. We baked these. Our end product definitely isn’t as pretty as yours. Admittedly, I am not much of a baker – I only do it since my daughter discovered she loves it. I think the first time I made any kind of “real” cookie other than simple drop oatmeal style was this past Christmas. Recipe is easy enough and we did just as you said. I think we didn’t fold our circles quite right and I also think they may have been too thick. Waiting for them to cool, so we’ll see! They seem sort of “squishy” in texture…would that be right? Somehow it feels…not. 🙂
The secret to pretty hamantaschen is making sure you overlap the sides. “Pinching” them usually doesn’t hold up as well. If they are thick, they will probably just be more cookie than filling which is certainly okay. Let me know how they taste- the most important part!
They taste very good! The strawberry is nice, but not overpowering. We definitely did more pinching than overlapping – again, I think ours were just too thick. Definitely have some good tips for the next attempt.
Oh, and by the way…the strawberry cookie dough? Makes a great heart-shaped cutout. 🙂
Yay! Pinching looks pretty, but comes apart easier. Yes I think you could do lots of things with the dough! 🙂
Salted or unsalted butter ???
Unsalted, there is added salt to the recipe.
Thanks for dropping these by the Favorite Things party! I’m so trying them this week!
i can’t find in the recipe above where you use the pureed strawberries. 1. Puree the strawberries and set aside. They are never mentioned again in any of the steps. I’m assuming they are mixed into the dough in step 2 but you never say to do so.
Oops! Updated.