Lemon Poppy Seed Hamantaschen (Pareve or Dairy) Cookies

Lemon Poppyseed Hamantaschen Cookies

Miri Rotkovitz

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Chilling time: 20 mins
Total: 63 mins
Servings: 11 servings
Yield: 22 cookies

Think poppy seed hamantaschen and odds are good that it's a plain dough with a sticky poppy filling that comes to mind. But that traditional pairing isn't the only way to use poppy seeds in your Purim pastries. Mixing them into the dough instead is a delicious—and unconventional—way to give a nod to the symbolism behind the seeds: Queen Esther is said to have lived on seeds, nuts, beans, and grains, the better to quietly keep kosher while living in Achashverosh's palace before the big reveal of her Jewish heritage. 

So if you take the poppy seeds out of the filing, what should you put in your hamantaschen? Lemon and poppy are a classic pairing, and Purim tends to fall close to spring, so the bright flavor and sunny hue of lemon curd feels perfect. Make your own lemon curd with this pareve, (and margarine-free!) recipe, or use a store-bought curd to save time. (Keep in mind that while the dough is pareve, your hamantaschen will be dairy if you use a curd that contains butter or cream.) 

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt, or sea salt

  • Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated, optional

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

  • 2 cups lemon curd, store-bought or homemade

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest (if using). 

  3. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the oil, egg, orange juice, and vanilla. Mix with a fork to lightly beat the egg. 

  4. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well with electric beaters or a large wooden spoon until the dough begins to pull together into a ball. 

  5. Using clean hands, knead the dough briefly in the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed and no streaks of flour remain.

  6. Divide the dough in half. Gather it into two balls, flatten each into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.  

  7. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

  8. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough disks to between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2- or 3-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out circles. Gather up the dough scraps, re-roll, and continue cutting circles with the remaining dough.

  9. Carefully transfer the dough circles to the prepared baking sheets and place 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of lemon curd in the center of each dough circle.

  10. Fold up the edges to form a triangle shape, allowing some of the filling to show. Pinch the corners of the dough to seal well.

  11.  Bake the hamantaschen in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the dough is firm and the bottoms begin to turn a light golden brown.

  12. Transfer the hamantaschen to a wire rack to cool.

  13. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
310 Calories
13g Fat
45g Carbs
5g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 11
Amount per serving
Calories 310
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 16%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 150mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 46mg 4%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 70mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)