Well, a friend of mine requested me to make her daughter some eggless hamentaschen cookies. The eight-year-old has just suddenly been diagnosed with egg allergy and has been having a hard time with the fact that she can’t eat everything anymore. One of the best things about Purim is ‘mishloach manot’, which is a Purim gift basket with mostly edible gifts and hamentaschen cookies. So, I decided to send her a little basket of these eggless hamentaschen cookies filled with her favorite strawberries.
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 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/Margarine – I always use unsalted butter but margarine works just as well. And if you use margarine you may not need the extra 2 tbsp of water or orange juice to form a smooth dough. Because margarine has higher water content.Powdered sugar – works great in this recipe and gives a nice smooth consistency for the dough. Extract – Orange is quite traditional with these cookies but I think vanilla works greatStrawberries – I have used fresh for these cookies because strawberries are in season now, but frozen work just as well.
Step by step instructions
Filling
Place chopped strawberries and all other filling ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on low heat until the strawberries are soft, all the water is almost evaporated.Pro-tip – we want a dry filling otherwise it will ooze out of the cookies.Mash the strawberries with a fork or pulse the filling in a food processor. Cool completely before filling the hamentaschen.Pro tip – the filling must be cooled completely, You can place it in the freeze for a few minutes to cool quickly
Dough
Dry ingredients – sift or combine together flour, baking powder, and salt.In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and combine well.Pro tip – it is important that you cream until light and fluffy as we do want to add a bit of lightness to the dough.Next, add the flour mix and combine well. If the dough is crumbly add the water or orange juice.Pro tip – we don’t want a very soft dough but we don’t want a very crumbly dough either. Add only just enough to bring the dough together. The crumbly dough will give us that biscuit-like texture.Divide the dough into two. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill in the fridge for a30 minutes up to 2 hours until firm enough to roll.Pro tip – the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month.
Roll & Fill
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surfacePro tip – if the dough is too hard let it rest at room temperature for just a bit otherwise it will crack when trying to roll.Roll the chilled cookie dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ 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 ½ inch cookie cutter, cut as many discs as you can and place them on a baking trayPro 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 waterPro tip – you need just a dap of the water otherwise it will be difficult to secure these foldsOverlap the three corners. 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.
Chill & Bake
Once all cookies are filled – chill them in the fridge while you preheat the oven.Chill the cookies for at least 20 minutes while the oven is preheating.Pro tip – Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape betterPreheat the oven at 375 °F / 190 °C / Gas Mark 5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before you store them in a cookie jar. These will stay for up to a week.
Storage
Compared to the other fillings this strawberry-filled hamentaschen cookies will stay fresh for up to a week only.The cookie dough can be chilled for a week in the fridge or frozen for up to three months in the freeze.Fruit fillings will last for a week in the fridge.
8 Tips Perfect hamantaschen
Frequently asked questions
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