I'm so excited because today, we're going to be making Purim cookies!
Yes, this is a celebration that everyone should participate in. And if you haven't already, go ahead and catch my blog post on why Christians should celebrate Purim.
When celebrating Purim, I want you to have fun and enjoy the food that you make. Now these cookies as you can see, they have a triangular shape.
Purim cookies, known as hamantaschen, are traditionally triangular in shape to represent the triangular hat worn by the villain of the Purim story, Haman. According to the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible, Haman was an advisor to the Persian king Ahasuerus who plotted to destroy the Jewish people.
The triangular shape of the cookies is said to symbolize Haman's hat or his ears, and eating them is a way of "destroying" Haman in a symbolic act of triumph over adversity.
Purim, A Joyous Celebration
Purim is a joyous celebration in the Jewish tradition because it commemorates the events described in the Book of Esther, where the Jewish people were saved from a plot to annihilate them.
The story goes that Haman, an advisor to the Persian king Ahasuerus, sought to exterminate the Jewish population. However, through the bravery and wisdom of Esther, who was secretly Jewish and married to the king, and her cousin Mordecai, the plot was thwarted.
The holiday is celebrated with various customs, including reading the Book of Esther (Megillah), exchanging gifts (mishloach manot), giving charity to those in need (matanot l'evyonim), and feasting.
The atmosphere of joy and celebration reflects the gratitude for the salvation of the Jewish people and the triumph of good over evil. Additionally, Purim is a time for communal bonding, with people coming together to share food, laughter, and festivities.
Speaking of festivities, check out the amazing food at the Purim celebration I attended with my family and friends! What a feast indeed!
What Makes These Purim Cookies So Special
What's great about these Purim cookies is that we're using whole wheat flour.
Now remember, when you are cooking with whole wheat flour, you actually have a stronger flavor in the flour. Whereas white flour has no flavor. It's absent of flavor.
The whole wheat flour that we have freshly milled is going to have a distinct taste. And it's a delicious taste. It tastes like real food.
For these Purim cookies, you can add minced nuts, or maybe even some bites of coconut. You could add some cacao powder to make it a chocolate cookie dough and then fill it with the chocolate filling.
There's a lot of different things that you can do with your cookie dough. But today, we're using a blueberry fig billing because it's just the preserves I made from the figs and blueberries I harvested from my garden.
I love using my own ingredients because I know exactly what's in them. I know how that plant was grown and how it was taken care of how it was harvested. And I know there's no pesticides and no sprays. And that just gives me such a complete satisfaction.
Now that we have that done we're gonna go ahead and cut circles you could use a cookie cutter. Then, just fold up the sides as in the image below and it's ready to go into your oven!
And you know what, you can make these cookies anytime of the year! Even if it's not Purim, you can most definitely enjoy these amazing treats that you and your family will love.
As we study Esther, as to how it happened back then, God is still the same. He still works the same in our life today.
By celebrating Purim, we're instilling these truths into our children and our grandchildren. So as you read the story of Esther with your family, enjoy your cookies!
Hamantaschen Purim Cookies with Blueberry Fig Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup organic sugar (or healthy alternative - preferably not Stevia)
- 3/4 cup softened organic butter
- 2-1/2 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 5-1/2 cups freshly milled flour (for lighter cookies sift flour after milling)
- 1 tbsp baking powder aluminum-free
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Blueberry Fig Filling
- 1 cup dried figs chopped
- 2 tbsps tapioca starch
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or dried
- 2 tbsps sucanat
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
For The Blueberry Fig Filling
- Combine figs, blueberries, and sucanat in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Mash the cooked berries with the back of a fork.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir water and tapioca starch together. Add half of the tapioca starch to the hot berry mixture. Stir well until it’s the same thickness as a jam.
For The Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or have parchment paper ready.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and add the 3 beaten eggs.
- Add in organic sugar till lightly and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and orange juice.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; stir into the wet ingredients to form a stiff dough. (If the dough is not stiff enough to roll out, stir in more flour.)
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of preserves into the center of each one. Pinch the edges to form three corners.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
- Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Add pomegranate juice for a red color.
- Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the flour and use hazelnut filling for a delicious chocolate flavor
- Replace the filling with about 2 cups of your favorite preserves.
