Halva Hamantaschen
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!
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:
- ¾ cup tahini paste
- ¾ 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 2 minutes. Then add vanilla, 1 egg and orange juice and combine. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients 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.
- When ready to bake, make the filling. Mix together tahini paste and powdered sugar. If tahini is a little dry, add water until the mixture is easy to combine and is about the consistency of peanut butter. You can also add a pinch of salt if your tahini doesn't have salt.
- 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. Secure the ends.
- 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.
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