Someone clock it. February 18th, 8:07 AM and it’s summer in Austin, TX. Now it may be snowing where you live, but it has been as high as 80 here in recent weeks, and I just booked myself for about 1,000 concerts/films/festivals/happy hours/bar crawls/theme runs/weirdo Austin things in coming weeks. Now I just have to remember to breathe! And stretch. And hydrate.
Last week I had the pleasure to beg and plead to be asked to judge the 8th Annual Kosher Chili Cookoff (like them on Facebook for details on next year’s event) here in town. Needless to say, it was awesome! Before you ask, yes there are Jews in Texas. In fact, there is a whole book on it that you can enter to win in my Jews in Texas Giveaway here! Go enter! Anyhoo, there were some real winners in the bunch. Speaking of winners, here is a glamour shot of me with the other judges. 
Photo courtesy of David Finkel Photography.
Just some of the nearly 20 chilis we tried:
Photo from Instagram– follow me!
And a little stalker photo of the chili tent:
Good times indeed! I hope y’all liked the Neapolitan Hamantaschen and Heart-Shaped White Chocolate Cherry Hamantaschen I made last week because I’ve got one more for ya! I don’t see where in the rule book it says hamantaschen have to be sweet. Last year I cooked up some Caramelized Onion Hamantaschen that were pretty darn tasty! This year I made some bagels for ya. But Amy, isn’t this just a normal bagel recipe shaped like triangles? These are special magical Purim bagels because I used poppy seeds on top, which is traditionally used to fill a hamantasch. They say Queen Esther loved poppy seed cookies! See what I did there? Bam- Purim Hamantaschen. And then you can fill them with whatever Jew like! Here is all Jew need:
Easy enough. First mix the yeast with 1 cup warm water and wait 10 minutes until it foams up. Then add in remaining flour, sugar, salt, oil and water and knead until you have a smooth ball, about 10 minutes, adding more water if needed. Divide the big ball into 8 little balls and let them rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes and you can make bagels! Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Now the fun part. Roll out your dough into strips and bend into a triangle securing at one end. Boil the bagels for one minute, and flip and boil for one more minute. They should expand a bit. Then put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and top however you like. I did poppy seeds!
Bake for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
I 100% ate one straight out of the oven and I’m not sorry about it. Now you can fill with whatever you like! I made one with my favorite lox and schmear.
And did a PB&J one too!
- What would you fill your hamantaschen with?
Poppy Seed Hamantaschen Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 package 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1¼ cups warm water or more in needed
- 4 cups bread flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Poppy Seeds
- Filling of choice such as lox cream cheese and red onion or peanut butter and jelly, etc.
Instructions
- First mix the yeast with 1 cup warm water and wait 10 minutes until it foams up. Then add in remaining flour, sugar, salt, oil and water and knead until you have a smooth ball, about 10 minutes, adding more water if needed.
- Divide the big ball into 8 little balls and let them rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes and you can make bagels!
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Roll out your dough into strips and bend into a triangle securing at one end.
- Boil the bagels for one minute, and flip and boil for one more minute. They should expand a bit.
- Then put bagels a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and top however you like. I did poppy seeds!
- Bake for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
First, the good news. You have renewed my interest in cooking after all these decades….Second, I love your poppy seed bagels, but what about my drug test???? Your ever lovin’ Bubs
HAHA oh Bubbe I think you are in the clear! You’d probably have to eat a dozen of these Jewlicious bagels to affect a drug test. Good luck!
What a cool twist, I’m not a big fan of the traditional hamantaschen, but as a bagel I’d eat it any day:)
Ha yes this is a hamantaschen everyone can enjoy for sure!
I haven’t met a New Yorker yet who didn’t ask me if there actually are Jews in Texas! You are a total rock star making your own bagels! I would definitely go for the traditional schmear of cream cheese, lox and super-thin slices of red onion. YUM!
Ha it’s insane! There are quite a few Jews here, plus I think we form a tighter community where there aren’t as many bubbelahs to nosh with!
Any idea where to buy hamantaschen in Austin?
Hmm good question. I saw some at my local HEB around Hanukkah time, but they don’t have any now ironically. Maybe the HEB on Far West? I have also seen some at the cookie bar at Whole Foods downtown. I’ll ask my Facebook group to see if people know any bakeries in town that sell them!
As an update, people on Facebook confirmed the Far West HEB has them and so does Wheatsville Coop!
jews in Tx. The number 1 market is HEB. Actually many 4th and 5th generation Houston has quite a few Temples and Braeswood area home to many