Meet my favorite cookie - no chocolate included
As spring approaches, I am once again looking forward to Purim, a holiday that absolutely requires my favorite cookies, Hamantaschen.
Purim celebrates the story of Esther, Queen of Persia. You see, the king's advisor Haman, and the bad guy in the story, decrees that all of the Jewish people in Persia should be killed. But Esther, who is secretly Jewish, convinces the king to change his mind, thus saving the entire Persian Jewish population.
It's another example of what I call the Jewish Holiday Motto:
They tried to kill us. We lived. Let's eat!
So overall Purim is a happy holiday. People (especially kids) dress up in costume. When the story of Esther is read in temple, everyone makes noise each time Haman's name is mentioned, to blot it out. People give gifts of food to friends. And everyone eats Hamantaschen, a triangle-shaped, filled cookie named after Haman's hat (or purse, depending on who you believe).
Hamantaschen are usually filled with fruits or poppy seed. I prefer apricot or raspberry filling. Yes, you read that correctly, this is one cookie I prefer without chocolate! Maybe because I only make them once a year, or maybe because they take a bit of extra effort to make.
In Easy, Tasty Gluten Free you will find my recipe for gluten-free Hamantaschen, refined over many years and popular with everyone who has ever tasted them. There are two tricks to this recipe, and I'll share them with you here:
Add flour if you have to
First, be prepared to use extra rice flour. When you roll out the dough, even on a greased sheet or waxed paper, it will tend to stick. If not to the surface, then to whatever you are using to cut the dough circles. A bit more flour on the surfaces makes a big difference.
Fold it up
Second, it's all in the fold. Getting from a circle to a triangle is easy. Just fold up along the dotted lines, as in the diagram below.
One fold on each side and voila! You have a triangle-shaped cookie with a fruit (or whatever you choose) filling. Looks impressive but it's actually quite easy.
Cool before eating
Then the hard part is just to wait until they are done and cooled before eating. Watch out for hot jam...it can really burn the roof of your mouth!
Whether you are celebrating Purim this year or just want to try something new, get my Hamantaschen recipe now by purchasing your copy of Easy, Tasty Gluten Free. Download it here or get the paperback delivered to your door.
And Happy Purim!
