Ingredients
Dough
- 400 gplain flour
- 150 gbutter or margarine, softened
- 150 gsugar
- 1egg
- 2 tbsporange juice
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 1 tspvanilla
- grated zest of 1 orange
- a pinch of salt
Poppy seed filling
- 200 gground poppy seed
- 150 mlmilk
- 80 gsugar
- 1 tbsphoney
- 30 graisins
- grated zest of 1 lemon
Other fillings
- date paste
- apricot or plum jam
- chocolate spread
- halva
To finish
- 1egg, beaten, to glaze
Directions
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt until it just comes together. Stop mixing the moment the flour disappears.
- Wrap the dough and chill it at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cold dough holds its shape and warm dough spreads and unfolds, which is why these open up.
- Stir in the raisins and lemon zest and cool it completely. The filling must be thick and cold. Roll the dough thin, about 3 mm, on a floured surface, working with half at a time and keeping the rest chilled.
- Cut rounds of about 8 cm with a cutter or a glass. Put a small spoonful of filling in the centre of each, and use less than you want to.
- Pinch the corners hard and pinch upward rather than pressing down flat. Pinch them firmly. Now chill the shaped biscuits for another 30 minutes before baking.
- Brush with beaten egg and bake at 180°C (355°F) for 12 to 15 minutes until pale golden at the edges. Take them out while they are still pale. Browned oznei haman go hard, and they should stay short and tender.
- Cool them on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them, because they are fragile while warm. They keep a week in a tin and freeze well.
Technique
- Poppy seed is the oldest filling, and mohn, the Yiddish word for it, may be the origin of the name.
- Israeli bakeries make them with chocolate, halva, date and pistachio.
- A yeasted version exists and is softer and more bread-like.
Substitutions
- Margarine in place of butter, which makes them parve.
- Any thick jam or fruit butter, avoiding runny ones.
Variations
- With date, chocolate or halva filling.
- Made with a yeasted dough.
- Savoury, filled with cheese or olive.
History
Known elsewhere as hamantaschen; the Hebrew name means Haman’s ears, after the villain of the Purim story.
Frequently asked questions
What is Oznei Haman?
Oznei Haman is a dessert from Israel: triangular filled cookies with poppy seed, chocolate or date, eaten at Purim. Known elsewhere as hamantaschen; the Hebrew name means Haman’s ears, after the villain of the Purim story.
How long does Oznei Haman take to make?
Oznei Haman takes 40 min plus 2 hr chilling of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 30. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Oznei Haman?
Yes, within limits. Margarine in place of butter, which makes them parve. Any thick jam or fruit butter, avoiding runny ones.
What is the most important thing to get right in Oznei Haman?
Wrap the dough and chill it at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cold dough holds its shape and warm dough spreads and unfolds, which is why these open up.
