This modern hamantaschen recipe came to Jewish recipe developer Micah Siva of San Francisco while she was assembling a cheese plate.
“I love creating savory hamantaschen and this is my way of working in those cheese and charcuterie board flavors,” says Siva, who shares Jewish and non-Jewish recipes, both sweet and savory on her blog, Nosh with Micah.
While her S’mores Hamantaschen are oil-based, this savory version uses cold butter to create a tender, rich dough. Cornstarch keeps the savory cookies from turning into the hockey pucks of your childhood Purim celebrations.
Sesame Goat Cheese Hamantaschen
Makes 2 dozen
DOUGH:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for rolling
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 stick (½ cup) cold butter, cubed
1 large egg, whisked
1 large egg, separated
1 tablespoon honey
2-3 tablespoons water, as needed
FILLING:
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons honey
DIRECTIONS
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, cornstarch, sesame seeds and sea salt. Add butter, pulsing until just combined. Alternatively, cut the butter into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter until butter is just combined.
Add the egg, 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon honey, mixing until a dough forms and adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two trays with parchment paper.
Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8th-inch thickness (if the dough is too thick, the dough will crack when shaping). Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles, setting them aside. Repeat with remaining dough.
Whisk the remaining egg white. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg on the dough. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.
Combine goat cheese and honey in a bowl. Place 1½ teaspoons goat cheese mixture in the center of each circle. Fold the dough into a triangle, pinching the corners tightly.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with an additional 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
— Recipe courtesy of Micah Siva, Nosh with Micah
