Pecan Pie Hamantaschen Purim Cookies Recipe

I bet you are not surprised that I made pecan pie hamantaschen are you? With so many recipes inspired by pecan pie from granola to brownies and blondies, these pecan pie cookies were a must make. If you love pecan pie as much as we do in our family then you will devour these. Every year during the Jewish holiday of Purim I make Purim cookies. Sometimes the traditional recipes, like poppy seeds, or dates, and yet mostly non-traditional ones like strawberry, chocolate, Nutella, and halva. So this year, I decided to try something different. Why not pecan pie and apple pie? Absolute heaven and so addictive.

Why make these cookies?

The cookie dough is like a shortbread cookie filling with this wonderfully strawberry filling. The dough is very simple and easy to make. In fact, you don’t need any special equipment. A bowl and spatula would work too. The dough needs some chilling time in between while you prepare the filling. But, you can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days ahead or kept frozen for up to a month. The pecan pie filling has a long shelf life too. It stays in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredients and substitutes

Butter – I always use unsalted butter because I like to control the amount of salt. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe. Also, as I explain about butter in my Tip Thursday – how butter affects baking – use room temperature butter for better results.Sugar – I highly recommend you use fine grain sugar to shorten the creaming time. Always cream the butter and sugar well, and fine grain sugar works best.Eggs – I use large eggs about 65 to 70 grams each. This recipe calls for one whole egg and one egg yolk. The egg yolks make sure you have a crisp texture to the cookie.Extract – Orange is traditional with these cookies. And yet, maple is more in keeping with the pecan pie theme. If you like you can use orange and maple both.Pecans – I have used pecans, and yet almost any other nuts might work just as well. I have also tried Macadamia, Hazelnuts as well as Cashews. Absolutely delicious.Golden syrup – Adds nice color to the pecan pie but also sweetness. And if you can’t find golden syrup you can use dark corn syrup. Also, if you want the filling less sweet you can omit the syrup.Maple syrup – Very traditional to pecan pie. And yet, if you can’t find it feel free to omit it.

Pecan Pie Hamantaschen

Pecan pie filling

Chop the pecan into small pieces. Then, add the pecans and all other filling ingredients in a medium saucepan.Pro tip– since the filling is a small space on a 3-inch disc we want the pieces of pecans to be small. Otherwise, the filing will look too bulkyHeat on medium-low until the sugar melts and starts to thicken. Once all the syrup is absorbed, almost dry, take it off the heat.Pro tip – it is important that all the juices have evaporated, otherwise you will have soggy cookies.Take it off the heat. Let cool completely before filling in the cookies.Pro tip – it is important that the filling is cold, not hot when filling or it will warm the dough making it hard to shape. You can even put in the freeze for a quick chill.

Dough

In a bowl, sift and combine together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and creamy.Pro tip – do not cream too long, just until the sugar is melted, as we do not want to add too much air into our dough.Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extractNext, add the flour mixture. Combine well into a soft dough. You can combine the dry ingredients all at once.Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm enough to roll.Pro tip – it is important to chill until the dough is firm enough to roll. Otherwise, it will be difficult to shape the cookies.

Roll and fill

Roll the chilled cookie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 thickness.Pro tip – You want the cookies thin enough so you can overlap the edges without cracking but thick enough so they won’t become too hard.Using a 3-inch or 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut as many discs as you can and place them on baking sheets.Pro tip – Line the baking tray with parchment paper or silicone mat for easy clean-up.Add about a tablespoon of filling in the center.Pro tip -Do not add too much filling because the hot filling will force the cookies to open during baking.

Dampen the disc edges very lightly with water or egg whitePro tip – you need just a dap of the water or egg whites otherwise it will be difficult to secure these foldsMethod one – Overlap the three corners as shown in the video. Fold the first two sides over at one end. Then overlap the third side under the first and under the second.Pro tip -At all times each side should be one under and one over the other. Sounds complicated but if you see the video it’s pretty simple.Method two – FInd the middle. Pinch two sides together, Bring the third side up and pinch to meet the other two sides.Pro tip – Press the folds gently, but firmly so they do not open during baking.

Chill and bake

Once all cookies are filled – chill them in the fridge while you preheat the oven.Pro tip – chilling helps the cookies hold their shape better.Preheat the oven at 375 °F / 190 °C / Gas Mark 5Brush the cookies with egg wash. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Then, cool on the wire rack.

Storage and variations

These cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. You can keep them in the fridge for longer up to 2 weeks. Or in the freezer for up to a month.I used pecans but other nuts are just as delicious – I have tried hazelnuts and macadamia using the same recipe just different nuts and they were wonderful.An absolutely mesmerizing combination is ground hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Kids favorite because it reminds them of Nutella.Enjoy!

Tips for success

More hamantaschen recipe

Hamantaschen with DateHamantaschen with poppy Seed FillingPrune Filled Hamantaschen .Pistachio halva hamantaschenEggless Hamantaschen with strawberry fillingPecan Pie HamantaschenSee all purim cookies