Enlighten the Gentiles #3: Purim and Hamantaschen

The Jewish holiday Purim (poo-rim)will be celebrated this year on Friday, March 25. It is a joyous spring celebration, something like Halloween, something like Mardi Gras but more, because it is a celebration of deliverance from a terrible fate.

The story of the holiday is told in the Book of Esther. To give you the simplest explanation,the evil minister Haman plotted to have all the Jews in Persia killed.  He was foiled by the beautiful (and unknown to the king, Jewish)Queen Esther and her clever uncle Mordechai. In the end, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for the Jews and Mordechai became the king's trusted minister.

In synagogues, the story of Esther, the Megillah is read on Purim.  It is a long, long, story; and  if you have ever heard the expression "the whole megillah"  (meaning a story that goes on and on) you now know where it comes from!

The Megillah is a long story, but the reading is not a dull one. Every time that the name "Haman" is mentioned, the congregation boo, rattle noisemakers and generally make a tummel--lots of noise!

Children usually dress up in costume for Purim, and frequently the adults do as well.  In one of my favorite children's books, All of a Kind Family,  five sisters dress up in costume for Purim and visit relatives, bringing them gifts of food and receiving gift pennies.  Today many synagogues hold carnivals for children.

I also hear there is considerable partying (and drinking) by adults during this holiday, but since I was raised culturally, but not religiously Jewish, I don't know anything about this!

Giving a gift of food and drink for Purim is called shaloach manot (sha-low-ackh  man-oht). It is considered to be a mitzvah (mitts-vah)-- a good deed to do this on Purim.

I did not know I was giving shaloach manot when I started making hamentaschen for the staff at the library, teachers at the girls' schools and for various family and friends. I just knew that I'd always loved hamentaschen and that I love sharing my baking with friends!

Hamentaschen means "Haman's pockets". The sugar cookie dough is rolled into circles, a filling is added and then the circle is folded into a triangular pocket.

Traditional fillings are poppy seeds, apricots and prunes. Hamantaschen are an Ashkenazi, or Eastern European Jewish treat, and these would have been the sorts of materials on hand for fillings. Nowadays, anything goes. I use different flavored jams such as strawberry or raspberry. Another favorite especially with kids, is chocolate--Nutella paste works really well for this.

I am not much for poppyseed, but I do love prune. The filling I use mixes raisins with prunes, and everyone who tries it likes it.

You can usually buy hamentaschen in bakeries, even when it's not Purim. They don't have to be Jewish bakeries either-- I fondly remember the wonderful prune hamentaschen I bought in an Italian bakery during my college days! Just look for triangular pastries with fruit fillings.

If you can make cookies, you can make hamentaschen. The folding is not tricky--even young children can master the technique and will enjoy helping.

You can get the recipe for hamantaschen dough  from Marcy Goldman's Better Baking website. It's also in her Jewish Holiday Baking book.

When I bake this I don't use shortening--you can substitute margarine for the shortening or use all butter. I've done both and had good results. I choose orange juice rather than milk for the liquid because it gives it the faintly citrusy flavor I remember from the bakery hamentaschen.

Use any filling you choose. You can even buy canned fillings in the supermarket. Use fillings sparingly, and expect them to leak a bit. Try prune--just soak 2 cups of pitted prunes in a little orange juice, puree and add lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon to your taste!

And don't worry if yours don't look as perfect as the bakery version. Mine never do, but everyone says they're delicious!

For more information on Purim, you can go to the Purim page of Holidays on the Net.

Abei gezunt!  

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