Makes about 16 cookies
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky
Over the years we’ve seen hamantaschen go from a sweet little holiday cookie to a full-on canvas. They’re traditionally made for Purim, the fun Jewish holiday where people dress up and give treats to friends and neighbors. And cookies are mandatory! Bakers are dipping them, coating them, stuffing them with every flavor imaginable, and it’s been pretty fun to watch.
The dough is so forgiving and the shape is so simple that it practically begs you to harness your inner Salvador Dalí. They bake up tender and lightly crisp at the edges, with a gooey jam center and a crackly crumble top. These are vegan, as always, and here I kept things a little adventurous with some of my most favorite flavors: raspberry jam, a drizzle of chocolate, and a buttery crumble topping that adds just the right amount of texture and crunch. Kind of a danish vibe.
If you’ve never made hamantaschen before, check out our Prune & Poppyseed Hamantaschen for step-by-step photos on how to shape them.
But don’t stop here! Go HamanWILD and make this hamantaschen a work of art with different jams and toppings. Then hand out flyers for your upcoming hamantaschen art show at a little emerging studio in Bushwick. Here are some ideas.
Switch up the jam: Raspberry is our go-to here, but use whatever jam you love. Apricot is classic and gorgeous, and orange marmalade gives you something a little more grown-up and bitter in the best way. Fig, strawberry, even a good cherry preserves would all work. Just make sure it’s cold and thick enough that it won’t run all over the place in the oven.
White chocolate drizzle: Swap the semisweet chips for white chocolate chips and use the same method. It looks really pretty against the golden dough and crumble, especially with a raspberry or apricot filling peeking through.
Fun finishes: Once you’ve drizzled the chocolate, you’ve got a little window before it sets to have some fun. Sprinkles, crushed freeze-dried raspberries, flaky sea salt, chopped pistachios, toasted coconut. This is a good cookie to make your wildest dreams come true.
VEGAN HAMANTASCHEN FAQ:
Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. The dough keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days, wrapped tightly. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling so it’s workable but still cold.
Can I freeze these? You can freeze the baked cookies without the chocolate drizzle for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature and drizzle before serving. You can also freeze the shaped unbaked cookies on a sheet pan, transfer to a bag, and bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.
Can I use vegan butter instead of coconut oil? Absolutely. Use the same amount of butter at room temperature. The dough will be a little softer, so you may need to chill it a bit longer before rolling. The cookies will taste a little richer and more buttery, which is not a bad thing at all.
How do I keep the filling from leaking out? Really pinch the corners well and make sure the seams are sealed tight. If your dough is getting warm and soft, pop the shaped cookies in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before baking. Don’t overfill, either. A heaping teaspoon is plenty. That said, leakers still taste great. No one has ever rejected a leaky hamantaschen.
Raspberry Crumble Hamantaschen With Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vegan milk at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup refined coconut oil at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam store-bought, cold
Crumble Topping:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons refined coconut oil semi-firm
- Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegan milk
Maple syrup, for brushing
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- In a cup, mix together milk and cornstarch with a fork until as dissolved as possible. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat together the coconut oil and sugar. It should be somewhere between creamy and crumbly. Add the milk and beat until smooth and incorporated. Mix in the zest and vanilla. Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt. Beat on medium until smooth. Add the rest of the flour about 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough is stiff, smooth and not tacky. It will probably start climbing up the beaters. That’s ok! If needed, add a tablespoon of flour or so.
- Divide dough in two, roll into a ball and flatten a bit into a fat disc, then wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling and crumble.
Prepare the crumble topping:
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add vanilla and coconut oil in small pieces and work it in with fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Keep chilled.
Form the cookies:
- Have ready 2 large baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sprinkle a clean, dry countertop with a little flour. Take one portion of dough and flatten it out a bit with the palm of your hand, then roll about 1/8 inch thick, sprinkling with flour if the dough seems sticky.
- Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, create 14 to 16 circles of dough. Peel away the excess dough. Fill each cookie with about a heaping teaspoon of cold raspberry jam.
- Pinch together two sides to form a cone. Then fold up the bottom, once again pinching the sides to seal. Top each cookie with a small pinch of cold crumble and press lightly. Brush the dough lightly with maple syrup for a little extra browning.
- Roll out the other portion of dough and repeat. If desired, you can roll out the remaining excess dough and make a few more cookies.
Bake:
- Bake 10 minutes, rotate pans, and bake another 8 minutes or so. The bottoms should be golden brown. The tops don’t brown much. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Cool completely before drizzling.
Chocolate drizzle:
- Melt the chocolate chips and milk together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly until it reaches drizzle consistency. Drizzle cooled cookies with the chocolate using a spoon or piping bag. Let set before storing.
