Hamantaschen have always been one of my favorite Jewish treats, they are long overdue or a rebrand from their reputation as a dry, flavorless cookie at the back of the deli case. Every spring, my family would fill, fold, and bake dozens of hamantaschen, filled with poppy seed or prune filling in preparation for Purim. The recipe here is not the prune-filled hamantaschen of my childhood. Inspired by my own springtime birthday, I updated and veganized my favorite holiday cookie with a dash of almond extract, colorful sprinkles, and a simple cashew “cheesecake” filling for a birthday-worthy hamantaschen that can be made all year-round.

Method:

To make the dough

• Food processor: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the vegan butter, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, almond extract, flour, corn flour, baking powder, and salt, pulsing until just combined. Add the sprinkles, pulsing two or three times to incorporate. The dough should be moist but not sticky.
• Stand mixer: Using the paddle attachment, mix the vegan butter, sugar, apple sauce, vanilla, and almond extract until light in color. Add the flour, corn flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low until just incorporated. Add the sprinkles and mix on low for 1 minute more to evenly distribute.
• Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

To make the filling:

• Drain the cashews. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the cashews, corn flour, melted coconut oil, water, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract, and salt and blend until smooth. Note: The mixture will be thick, so you may have to scrape down the sides occasionally to blend. Set aside.
• Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Rewrap one half of the dough with cling film and refrigerate. Roll one half of the dough on a well-floured surface to 3mm thickness.
• Using a 7 – 8 cm circular cookie cutter (or a glass), cut out circles of dough and transfer them to the prepared sheet pans. Reroll the scraps until all the dough is used. If the dough is sticking to the cutter, dip it in flour before cutting.
• Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each circle. Pinch the dough into a triangle or fold the left edge of the dough toward the centre, covering a small portion of the filling, then fold the right edge of the dough toward the centre, slightly overlapping the left, creating a triangle shape, with the point closest to you. Fold over the top of the dough and pinch the edges together, or tuck it over like an envelope. Pinch each corner to secure.

To make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and maple syrup. Use a brush to brush the glaze over all the hamantaschen. Transfer the pans to the refrigerator and chill for at least 15 minutes. This will prevent them from opening and losing their shape when baking.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C.
• Transfer the sheet pans to the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until just golden. Note: If you roll the hamantaschen out too thick, it will take longer to bake. Check the hamantaschen for doneness around 12 minutes.

Note:

• Freeze the hamantaschen in airtight containers for up to 6 months. Prepare the dough and filling up to 4 days in advance and store in airtight containers separately in the refrigerator. Leftover filling is great on top of oatmeal, added to smoothies, or on toast.

Variation:

• To use this hamantaschen dough as a base for other fillings, omit the almond extract and sprinkles. Use a thick filling that won’t seep liquid when cooking, such as high-sugar jams (I use Bonne Maman brand), chocolate hazelnut spread, apple butter, or a poppy seed filling. Hamantaschen are a blank canvas for fillings!

Recipe adapted from Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine