The most popular of all Purim treats are Hamentashen, which is a German word meaning “Haman’s pockets.”  This comes, possibly, from the notion that Haman filled his pockets with bribe money.  In Hebrew, they are called ozneh Haman, which means “Haman’s ears.” This name was given because it was once the practice to cut off the ears of criminals before hanging them, and Haman was eventually hanged.

When I make them, I use a very simple recipe.  Here it is:

3 cups flour

3 eggs

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling, there is a wide variety of choices.  Some possibilities are:  fruit, poppy seeds, chocolate or prune filling.  For mine, I used a few chocolate chips.

Just roll out the dough, cut into circles (use the top of a glass like a cookie cutter), put in a little bit of filling, and pinch the circle into a triangle.  Make the pinched corners strong, or the filling will spill out during baking. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Why not try  making some today?