Apricot Hamantaschen
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These hamantaschen, or hat-shaped Purim cookies, are like glistening little fruit pies in cookie form.
With a buttery shortbread crust folded over a dollop of jam, these apricot hamantaschen, or hat-shaped Purim cookies, are like glistening little fruit pies in cookie form. Feel free to play with the filling—any thick jam, or even Nutella, will work well. If you’re a chocolate lover or catering to those who are, these chocolate hamantaschen have a brownie-like filling that will deliciously hit the chocolate spot.
“I made these for the third year in a row. They’re delicious… so much more delicate than the heavy hamantaschen you get in most bakeries.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apricot Hamantaschen
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens the dough and creates a tender texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the hamataschen. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Butter: Adds richness and a flaky texture to the dough.
- Egg Yolks: Contribute to the dough’s richness and help bind the ingredients together.
- Apricot Jam: Fills the cookies with a sweet, fruity flavor. If you’ve got a favorite flavor, any thick jam will work here.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by placing the sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse to combine.
Add the cold butter cubes.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the egg yolk and pulse until evenly crumbly and pale yellow in color.
Add a bit of cold water and pulse until the dough clumps together.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Knead it gently into a smooth ball, then divide in half and form into two 6-inch discs.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, then roll it about 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or glass to cut out 3-inch circles.
Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets and lightly brush with the egg wash. This is the key to getting the corners to stick together.
Dot each cookie one with a teaspoon of apricot jam. Do not overfill, or the jam will leak out while baking.
Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle so that each side has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under — this creates a pattern that looks pretty (but don’t fuss too much over it). Pinch the corners together so that they form a point — this will keep them from separating while baking.
You can see more closely here.
Refrigerate the cookies on the pans for about 20 minutes, then bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Enjoy!
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Apricot Hamantaschen
These hamantaschen, or hat-shaped Purim cookies, are like glistening little fruit pies in cookie form.
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for rolling the dough
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, very cold
- 3 large egg yolks, divided
- 1-2 tablespoons ice cold water
- ¾ cup apricot jam, best quality such as Bonne Maman
Instructions
- Combine the confectioners' sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for 10-15 seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 of the egg yolks and pulse a few times, until the mixture is crumbly and pale yellow. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining tablespoon of water and pulse again. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times into a smooth ball. Divide in half and pat into two 6-inch discs; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, make an egg wash by mixing the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll to ⅛-inch thick, turning and dusting with more flour as necessary so it doesn't stick. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 3-inch circles and place about ½-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll and re-cut any excess dough. Brush the dough very lightly with the egg wash. Place a level teaspoon of apricot jam on the center of each cookie (do not overfill). Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle so that each side of the cookie has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under -- this creates a pattern that looks pretty (but don't fuss too much over it). Pinch the corners together neatly so that they form a point. Slide the pans into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies are lightly golden on top and just starting to brown in the corners. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Shape the dough into 2 discs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the disks from the freezer, thaw the dough for 1 to 2 days in the fridge, and then proceed with recipe. To Freeze After Baking: Let the hamantaschen cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (30 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 128
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 63mg
- Cholesterol: 35mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I don’t own a food processor. Would these turn out well if made by hand, or would the texture be affected?
Thanks for all your work on the site.
Hi Stella, Do you have a mixer? If you do, I think it’s possible, but the texture may be slightly different; perhaps a little less crisp. Also, I would recommend softening the butter a bit before combining it with the sugar and flour. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made by hand before and they turned out delicious! Took a bit more work but we did it! Helps if you use a hand mixer too.
Hey Jenn, how important is the refrigerate-before-baking step? In Europe our fridges are tiny!
Hi Audrey, refrigerating the hamantaschen before you put them in the oven is pretty important because it helps to cool off the dough after you’ve worked with it. If you don’t refrigerate them at all, they will spread a lot in the oven. Hope that helps!
I made these last night and they were easy and delicious! The dough was a great texture and so easy to work with. I usually really struggle with dough falling apart and being too dry- I didn’t even need to add the water for this recipe! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Hi
Love this recipe ! Third year making it.
Can I keep the dough in refrigerator for a couple of days or should I freeze and defrost ?
Thanks
Dibsterc
Hi Dibster, It should be fine in the fridge for a few days. Enjoy!
For years, I have been searching for the perfect hamantaschen recipe…and I finally found it! This recipe produced a tender, moist, delicious cookie that my whole family just loved and yet it was so simple to make. I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you so much.
Great recipe! I did add orange zest to the dough recipe. Perfect! Easy-schmeazy!
Hi Jenn!
Loved this recipe. Much less heavy than the ones I grew up on. I made more dough than I needed though. Is there something else I can make with it? I think we’ve had enough hamantaschen for now.
Hi Rebecca, Glad you liked these! For leftover dough, these look interesting and good. Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried them myself. 🙂
Is there a reason why your recipe doesn’t call for baking powder, like some others do? I’ve been looking to make these and it seems the recipes are split between those with baking powder and granulated sugar and those with confectioner sugar and no baking powder. What is the difference in the outcome? I have never made hamentaschen before, but my kids love them and I really want to try. Thanks!
Faith
Hi Faith, This recipe is made with a pastry dough, which is more like pie crust than cookie dough — that’s why there is no baking powder. The result is a tender, flaky, pastry-like cookie. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn,
I made this recipe three times, with various fillings, and my family and friends loved them! The dough comes together so well and is easy to work with. The kids loved your brownie filling the best!
I’ve made hamantashan for years and your recipe is my favorite!
Jenn, I wonder why this recipe calls for 1/2 pound of butter whereas the dough for the chocolate one calls for 1/4. Could I use the dough for chocolate ones and fill in with apricot jam? Thank you!
Sure, Olga, that will work! 🙂
I made these, making some apricot and some raspberry. Delicious! The dough had a wonderful texture and buttery flavor. And they stayed closed which is always a challenge.