purim
Naomi Ross | JNS
A s a kid in my mother’s house, I’d
use a drinking glass to cut out
my rounds of dough for hamantaschen,
those triangular Jewish cookies made
for the holiday of Purim. Dipping the rim
in flour, it was a careful practice of cutting
as close together as possible, leaving the
least amount of scraps behind (the fewer
scraps to reroll, the better; the dough
tends to get tougher with each redo).

The tradition to give mishloach manot
(festive food gifts to neighbors and
friends) on Purim spurred my desire for
fun after-school projects in the days
leading up to the holiday. For a young
person, taking ownership of preparing
a package to give to others was a
momentous experience. It required me
to think about someone else and how to
make it special for them.

We kept it simple — traditional apricot-
or prune-filled. No frills but delicious all
the same. Now, as an adult with my own
family, I have fun playing with different
versions and more sophisticated flavors.

One year, I used guava paste and lime.

Each year, my family prepares and
gives several packages to friends and
Drunken chocolate-cherry hamantaschen
neighbors, but lately, I also try to think of
someone who in particular needs a lift or
smile and make sure they get one, too.

That extra attention and loving touch
make a difference, especially when
cooking for others. Those pesky, sealed
edges of the hamantaschen can reopen
when baking, so always pinch twice!
As per the recipe below: No, it’s not
alcoholic. Yes, the alcohol cooks out,
leaving a lusciously decadent filling.

Yes, cherries and chocolate need to be
together. And yes, give some to your
friends—if there are any left.

The dough can be prepared up to
three days in advance. The filling can be
made up to a week in advance.

DRUNKEN CHOCOLATE-
CHERRY HAMANTASCHEN
(From “The Giving Table” by
Naomi Ross, November 2022)
Makes about 5 dozen hamantaschen
!חמש םירופ גח
- The Rothenberg Family
PHILADELPHIA | LAKEWOOD | MANHATTAN
BROOKLYN | HACKENSACK | MONSEY | CHERRY HILL
20 MARCH 2, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
For the dough:
¾ cup oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
¼ cup milk or soy or oat milk
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3½ cups flour, plus more for flouring
⅔ cup Dutch-process cocoa
(pareve) 4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen dark
pitted cherries, thawed
⅓ cup dry red kosher wine
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Cream the oil and sugar together in
an electric mixer until a grainy paste
forms. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla
until well-blended.

In a separate large bowl, sift together
the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and
salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to
the batter, a little at a time, mixing
at low speed until the dough comes
away from the sides of the bowl and
forms into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap
and refrigerate for at least two hours
or overnight. While the dough chills,
prepare the filling.

Combine all filling ingredients in a
medium saucepan and stir to blend
until all cornstarch is dissolved and no
lumps are visible.

Place saucepan over medium heat
and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 to 7
minutes, stirring often until the mixture
is thickened and bubbly. Remove from
heat to cool; chill to thicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line
three baking sheets with parchment
paper. Divide dough into four parts.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured
board (it helps to flour the rolling pin
as well) into a very thin round, about
⅛-¼-inch thick. Using a 3–3½-inch
diameter cookie cutter or glass, cut
circles in the dough. Place one cherry
with a little of the sauce in the center
of each circle. Shape into a triangle by
folding the three sides inwards toward
the center (leaving space for the filling
to be open and visible); pinch the sides
together tightly.

Place hamantaschen 1 inch apart on
prepared baking sheets (pinch again to
secure folds). Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Be careful not to overbake. Repeat
with the remaining dough, using up
dough scraps as well. Transfer baked
hamantaschen to racks to cool. For a
pretty look, drizzle with a little melted
white chocolate (or dip one-half of the
hamantasch into white chocolate). ■
From “The Giving Table” by Naomi Ross, November 2022
Drunken Chocolate-Cherry
Hamantaschen for Purim