Jewish Confections

Baking has always been a huge part of my family’s Jewish identity. In my household, each holiday and Shabbat requires some sort of sugary confection, be it brownies for an ordinary Friday night or sufganiot for Chanukah (P.S. I don’t recommend making these if you don’t like oily doughnuts). Lucky for me, my spring break coincided with Purim this year, and I got to make hamentashen. This year mom and I made hamentashen with sour cherry and Nutella filling (not together). True, the calories from these delectable treats will not leave our waistlines wanting, but it’s so worth it. While I was noshing on a particularly non-triangular cookie I realized something: I have never made a perfect batch of hamentashen!

I have been making hamentashen since I developed basic motor skills, and yet I still cannot escape unfolded cookies. I’ve tried egg washes, cold dough, and warm dough. I’ve tried high filling to dough ratios (which I much prefer) and low filling to dough ratios, it simply doesn’t matter! There are always those rascals that prefer to fall apart. It used to make me nuts when I was younger, but now I find them comical, rebellious even. These adolescent-minded cookies make me smile and add a little variety to the average hamentashen. I recommend that you all make a batch with your friends and family and take a moment to laugh at and snack upon the rambunctious cookies.