Wrapped in a triangular shell of baked dough, decadent flavors mix with a crunchy outside and soft middle to make up the Hamantaschen cookie. Baked every year in March to celebrate the Jewish Holiday of Purim, Hamantaschens come in all flavors. These cookies celebrate freedom and are shaped into a triangle to symbolize the hat of Haman, a man disliked by Jews around the world due to his past violence towards the religious group in the Jewish Bible, the Torah. While these simple yet delicious cookies can be purchased in grocery stores, their ease and creativity make them a perfect treat to create at home. Check out the best, the worst and the most popular Hamantaschen flavors!
Apricot: 4/5 Stars
Made with tangy and rich apricot preserves, these Hamantaschens are a staple when Purim rolls around. The glistening yellow color of the filling reflects its pure taste and combines with the golden brown outer shell to create the perfect bite. The preserves, consisting of ripe apricot, add a smooth texture and harden slightly after the cookies are cooled. In addition, the fruity, tart flavor enhances the cookie, taking it to a new level. While you cannot go wrong with an apricot Hamantaschen, adding too much of the preserve can overpower the shell, taking away from the sweet flavor.
Blackberry: 3/5 Stars
Unlike its apricot counterparts, blackberry Hamantaschen come in two forms: seeded and seedless. One of the oldest and most traditional Hamantaschen flavors is poppy seed, and the seeded blackberry Hamantaschen offers a similar texture with its slightly crunchy stuffing. However, for those who crave the soft and creamy inner preserves, seedless is the best way to go. In the seedless blackberry Hamantaschen, the fruitiness of the blackberry itself pairs well with the outer shell, however, the bitterness may make you crave something sweeter.
Chocolate: 4/5 Stars
The chocolate Hamantaschen is one of the most popular flavors. Filled with decadent milk chocolate, this Hamantaschen’s interior never fails to amaze. With each bite, the cookie’s flakiness combined with the warm, melted chocolate creates the sensation of drinking hot chocolate. In my opinion, the sweetness can overpower the cookie, but experiment with a richer chocolate or a variation of dark chocolate for a more distinct flavor!
Strawberry: 5/5 Stars
My personal favorite Hamantaschen, the strawberry-filled variation, takes the delicious flavor of a strawberry and pairs it with a soft, buttery cookie. The sweetness that the blackberry Hamantaschen lacks is made up for in this cookie, but it does not reach the extreme, overpowering sweetness of the chocolate cookie. While the strawberry flavor can be thought of as the safe choice for Hamantaschen, you will not be able to turn back after trying one! So, as you remember the evil Haman and celebrate Purim, pick up a strawberry Hamantaschen — it will probably not be your only cookie of the day!
While there are many different Hamantaschen recipes on the internet, I always go back to Food Network’s due to the ease. But whichever one you choose, be creative, try different fillings and have a happy Purim!