Shalach Manot 2019

For my shalach manot this year, I decided on an Israel theme. Partially, this is because we are celebrating one year of taking Hebrew lessons. It is also because I wanted an excuse to try a different kind of hamantashen.

The recipe I found is tachina dough with a date filling, and turns out quite savory. The Silan glaze on the top adds just a bit of sweetness that make these perfect for an afternoon snack. Note that I halved the recipe and only put in 1.5 cups of flour, which was fine. It made about 20 hamantaschen.

To bring out the Israeli theme, I also included an orange and an Israeli chocolate bar. I decorated the bag with an Israeli flag sticker purchased on amazon. Enjoy!

Dough Ingredients

• 3-1/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of techina paste
• 1/4 cup of olive oil (light)
• 1/4 cup of water

Filling Ingredients

• 8 medjool dates pitted
• 1/4 cup of techina paste
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• A dash of salt
• 2 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoon silan (date syrup)

Silan Glaze Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon silan (date syrup)
• A bit of water to allow the glaze to drizzle

Note: If you need more glaze, continue adding equal parts sugar and syrup with a bit of water.

Preparation

1. Soak dates in warm water for about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment/ silpat.
3. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, techina, sugar, oil, water, and vanilla. Mix dry and wet to form a soft dough. Divide in half before rolling out for convenience (I didn’t do this as I made a half recipe). Roll the dough 1/4″ thick, and use cookie cutter or a small glass to cut into circle shapes.
4. For Filling: Mix together the filling ingredients. Chop dates and add. Set aside.
5. Using an egg wash or water, lightly brush outside of circles (don’t skip this step- when I did, the hamantaschen didn’t retain their shape!). Place a small amount of filling in the center of each circle. Pinch corners together to form hamantaschen shape.
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake for 15-20 min. Hamantaschen will be a light brown and feel soft.
7. Allow to cool briefly. Make glaze and drizzle over hamantashcen.

a recipe from Joy of Kosher