Halva Hamantaschen

Amy Kritzer

Sesame and orange bring a welcome Sephardi spin to a traditional Ashkenazi food, making these cookies the perfect treat for any Purim table. It's Halva Hamantaschen!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1 15

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish

Servings -20

Ingredients

Dough:

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup aka 4 oz), room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg plus 1 for egg wash
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder (use 1 tsp if you want a pouffier/softer cookie)
¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 cup tahini paste
1 cup powdered sugar
Water as needed
2 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, blend sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add vanilla, 1 egg and orange juice and combine. Then add flour, baking powder and salt and mix with fingers or spoon until just combined. Dough should be slightly sticky. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix together tahini paste and powdered sugar to desired level of sweetness. If tahini is a little dry, add water until the mixture is easy to combine and is about the consistency of peanut butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to about 1/4 - 1/8” thickness, then cut into circles with a 3 or 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a wine glass. Place 1 teaspoon filling at center of dough circle and fold over the three corners to form a triangle.
Place hamantaschen on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to prevent spreading. Using a pastry brush, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes until browned on the bottom. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

Notes

Also, you will need to chill the dough overnight.