This Chocolate Hamantaschen recipe is quick and easy with only 2 ingredients for the delicious Purim cookie made using ready-made dough and chocolate filling.
Hamantaschen (or hamentaschen) are one of the best parts of Purim, but why wait for the holiday?
Just use your favorite ready-made pie crust dough, add a good chocolate spread, fold, bake, and voila!! A tasty treat for everyone...any time!
And this simple recipe is completely customizable, so you can use any filling you want!
And if you want them dairy-free, just use dairy-free dough and filling.
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What is needed for chocolate hamantaschen?
ready-made pie crust dough
a good chocolate spread (or other filling, as desired)
Frequently Asked Questions for baking (FAQs)
When are hamantaschen eaten?
Hamantaschen are traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim, which usually falls in February or March. They're especially popular as a Purim treat and are often given as gifts or included in mishloach manot, food packages exchanged during the holiday.
Why are hamantaschen eaten on Purim?
Hamantaschen are eaten on Purim to celebrate the defeat of the evil Haman after he devised a plan to have all the Jews in ancient Persia killed. Purim commemorates this deliverance and the survival of the Jewish people.
Can I use different dough for these hamantaschen?
Yes. You can use ready-made pie dough, cookie dough, or another dough that you like. The baking time may vary depending on the type of dough you use.
Can I use a different filling?
Absolutely. Chocolate is delicious, but you can fill your hamantaschen with any filling you prefer, such as fruit preserves, poppy seed filling, or other sweet fillings.
How do I keep the hamantaschen from opening while baking?
Make sure you don't overfill them, and press the edges together firmly after folding the dough. If needed, you can lightly moisten the edges with water before sealing them.
Can I make these hamantaschen dairy-free?
Yes. Use dairy-free ready-made dough and a dairy-free chocolate spread or other dairy-free filling. Always check the ingredients on packaged products to make sure they meet your needs.
How do I make hamantaschen with homemade dough?
Yes. If you'd rather make your own dough from scratch, try this Easy Hamantaschen Recipe, which includes a homemade dough recipe.
How do I store these hamantaschen?
Store completely cooled hamantaschen in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Keep them in a cool, dry place to help maintain their texture.
Can I freeze hamantaschen?
Yes. Let the baked hamantaschen cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
About Purim and Hamantaschen
What is Purim?
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, the vizier of the Persian king Ahasuerus (traditionally identified with Xerxes I), through the actions of Queen Esther and her cousin and guardian, Mordechai.
The king's first wife, Vashti, disobeyed him, and he was beside himself with anger. His advisors told him to get rid of her, explaining that other women would feel it was acceptable to disobey their husbands if she was allowed to get away with it. He agreed and complied.
Sometime after this, maidens were brought from far and wide for the king to choose a new queen. He chose a Jewish girl, Esther, although she kept her religion to herself.
Esther's cousin, Mordechai, had taken care of her after the death of her parents. He would sit by the palace gates to hear news of Esther's well-being.
One day, Mordechai overheard two of the king's eunuchs plotting to kill him and told Esther, who told the king. The eunuchs were found guilty and hanged, and the incident was recorded in the king's chronicles.
In the meantime, a sociopath named Haman was promoted by the king and became one of the most powerful officials in the kingdom. Everyone was commanded to bow down to him.
Nonetheless, Mordechai refused, which caused Haman to become overcome with rage and hatred. So, he went to the king with a plot to murder all the Jews in revenge.
Haman told the king that there was a people who were dispersed throughout his kingdom, whose traditions were different from those of everyone else's and who didn't follow the king's laws. He said they shouldn't be tolerated and that, if it pleased the king, they should be annihilated. The king told him to do as he saw fit.
A date was set, and notifications were sent to all the provinces.
When Mordechai found out, he put on mourning clothes and sat in sackcloth and ashes. When Esther was told about this, she sent clothes to him through a messenger. He refused them and sent back a message telling her about the decree and insisting that she plead with the king on behalf of her people.
Esther really didn't want to do this, because everyone-including the queen-had to be invited to see the king or risk death. Mordechai responded that she shouldn't think that her position would protect her and that perhaps this was the reason she became queen in the first place.
Esther responded that everyone should fast for three days, night and day, and that she and her maidens would also fast. Afterward, she would go to the king, saying, "If I perish, I perish."
When she went to the king, he was happy to see her and extended his golden scepter toward her. He asked her what she wanted from him: "What is it you desire, Queen Esther, and what do you request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be given to you."
Esther's request was that the king and Haman come to a banquet that she had prepared. The king agreed and ordered that Haman be quickly brought. There, again, the king asked, "What is it you desire, Queen Esther, and what do you request? Up to half of the kingdom and it will be given to you."
Esther told the king that she would like him and Haman to come to another banquet the next day.
Of course, Haman was thrilled at the invitation. However, when he left to go home and saw Mordechai sitting at the gate, who still didn't stand and bow for him, his joy dissipated and he was furious.
Haman went home and told his friends and his wife that nothing he had attained was worth anything to him as long as he had to see Mordechai disrespecting him. They suggested he build a tall gallows and ask the king to hang Mordechai on it. He liked the idea and built the gallows.
That night, the king couldn't sleep and asked that his chronicles be read to him. He was reminded of how Mordechai had saved his life from the eunuchs. "What was done for him?" he asked. "Not a thing," was the reply.
So, the king asked who was in the courtyard, and, lo and behold, there was Haman on his way to ask the king's permission to hang Mordechai!
The king had him called to him and asked, "What should be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?"
Haman, thinking that the king could want to honor no one more than him, recommended that the king's clothes and the king's horse with a royal crown on its head be given to the most noble official, who would dress the man and ride him through the town square and call out, "This is what shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor."
So, the king told Haman himself to quickly do just as he had mentioned-for Mordechai, the Jew!
The next evening, the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet, and again the king asked her, "What is it you desire, Queen Esther, and what do you request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be given to you."
This time she replied that her desire was her life and her request, the lives of her people. She proceeded to tell them that they had been sold out to be annihilated.
"Who dared to do this?" he asked.
She told him, "This wicked Haman!"
The king got up and went out into the garden in his wrath. When he came back, he saw that Haman had fallen on Esther's sofa to beg for his life and said, "Can it be that he would actually assault the queen while I'm in the house?"
One of the eunuchs who was in attendance overheard and told the king, "Also, there is the tall gallows that Haman prepared to hang Mordechai-who spoke well of the king-by his house."
The king replied, "Hang him on it!"
The rest of the story is that the Jews were given permission to fight back on the days they were supposed to be slaughtered, and they defeated those who attacked them. The holiday of Purim was then established as a celebration of their deliverance.
Every year, Jews celebrate Purim. In the morning, they give packages of food and treats to friends and family, and in the afternoon they have a festive meal to celebrate. These traditions are known as mishloach manot and the Purim seudah, respectively.
What is hamantaschen?
Hamantaschen (spelled a variety of ways) are a favored type of cookie made from a circle of dough with filling and folded into a triangle.
"Tash" is Yiddish for "pocket," and the word "hamantaschen" is commonly understood as meaning "Haman's pockets." The name, however, likely developed from the German Mohntaschen, or "poppy-seed pockets," which were later associated with Haman.
Some people say that the triangle actually represents the three-cornered hat that Haman supposedly wore, and in Hebrew, these treats are called "Haman's ears" (Oznei Haman).
There are several ideas about how hamantaschen got its name, but it doesn't really matter... All that matters is that they are really good!
How to fold Hamentaschen
(Photo shows jam, not chocolate).
Cut out a circle from dough (this is a 3" diameter circle).
Fold over ⅓ of the circle from the edge toward the middle (how far you fold in is determined by how much filling you want showing.
Then fold over another ⅓ from the edge toward the middle.
Then fold the last ⅓ toward the middle and tuck one side under, so each fold has one side exposed and one side under another.
...and voila! That's it!
Love quick cookie recipes?
If you want to make your own homemade hamantaschen dough, try this!
Chocolate Hamantaschen
Delicious and easy, 2-ingredient chocolate hamantaschen with ready-made dough.
Ingredients
- Approximately 1 pound of chilled, ready-made pie dough, preferably sweet. Use dairy-free dough if desired.
- 1 cup quality chocolate spread (or customize with your own choice of filling)
Instructions
- Roll out pie dough (rectangle shape, approximately 16" x 10" or so and ⅛" thick—a little more is fine) onto a mat or table where it won't stick and won't slide around either.
- Cut out circles. The larger the circle, the larger each piece will be, but fewer of them.
- Put a dab of filling in the middle of the circle (the smaller the circle, the less filling you use).
- Fold ⅓ of the circle toward the middle (you can cover the middle or let a little of the filling show).
- Then fold in another third toward the middle.
- Fold the last third toward the middle and carefully tuck one end under the ⅓ next to it so that each ⅓ has one side showing and one side tucked under the ½ next to it.
- Lay each hamantaschen on a greased or lined cookie sheet, leaving around 1" space between each
- Place in an oven that has been preheated to 350°.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the dough has slightly browned.
Notes
1) I typically use 2.5" round cookie cutters.
2) DO NOT OVERFILL AND FOLD OVER WELL SO THEY WON'T OPEN IN THE OVEN.
3) Another option for folding is to pinch the sides together well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 56Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
