Blissful Purim hamantaschen

LISA J. SOLOMON
Special to Jewish News

Thirteen years ago, during a six-month stay in the remote desert town of Arad, Israel, I grew accustomed to rising at dawn, making a cup of strong Israeli coffee, and sitting on a plastic chair in the corner of my second-story porch.

During the week, the day opened slowly, like a black and white photograph.

But one morning, my porch view started with swirls of color. Toddlers to teens, dressed in red capes, orange wigs, pink sparkling gowns, and purple masks, darted back and forth across the play yard, jumped over the stone path, vanishing behind the school building, only to reappear, charging across the car-less street. I opened the windows to listen to their sounds. My roommate woke up and said, "It's Purim." I quickly ran down the stairs to see.

Outside, I was greeted by more costumed children, laughing and tossing candy in the air. As I walked toward town, I saw plates of hamantaschen and sweets exchanged freely between neighbors and shopkeepers. Then I saw ladders extending up the highest posts, with smiling town's people on top, attaching bright paper decorations. Speechless, I stood under the morning Negev sun and soaked in the magical feeling of celebrating with a majority instead of with a proud, but small, minority.

According to "The Jewish Holidays, A Guide and Commentary," (Perennial paperback, out of print) by Michael Strassfeld, the Purim story of Queen Esther saving the Jewish people from Haman's planned massacre of the Jews has contradicting historical facts, and therefore is not to be taken literally. Still, he explains, "Purim affirms the bright moments of victory and denies the long, bleak centuries of persecution," and so it has remained a time "to feel good, and let loose."

So when my daughter and I make hamantaschen, the triangle-shaped Purim treat representing Haman's hat, we let go of all rules. Instead of opting for just the traditional fruit fillings, we open our cabinets and pull out all our favorite candies. The kitchen table becomes a buffet of white chocolate chunks, dark chocolate morsels, rainbow sprinkles, red and yellow gummy bears, blue, pink, and purple colored sugars, and anything else that melts, tastes good, or is just fun to eat. Then over the course of a candy-filled afternoon, hopefully including friends, we create colorful, playful, sparkly, and delicious hamantaschen.

One year, after the first batch came out of the oven, we each chose a big white chocolate, dark chocolate, sugar sprinkled hamantaschen to eat. With hands and lips sparkling with red and yellow sugars, my daughter said, "This is fun. I feel sorry for people who aren't Jewish. They don't get to make hamantaschen."

Yellow Cake Mix Hamentaschen
(dairy or pareve)

I got this wonderfully quick recipe from my sister, who got it from someone else, and so on. I even saw it submitted to a synagogue cookbook from a woman living in Israel. So you know, it is not only simple enough for your older children to make, but is also delicious.

Dough:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp water, approximately

Filling Suggestions: Favorite jams, poppy seed or prune filling (from can), chocolate morsels, white chocolate chunks, colored sugars, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, marshmallows, chopped candy bars, gummy bears, candy hearts, or any other fun treat.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat two cookie sheets with shortening or vegetable spray.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, beaten eggs, and water until batter is well moistened and holds together. If dough is dry and crumbly, add water a few drops at a time. (Hint: After starting with a fork, I used my hands to finish mixing and added one teaspoon more water.)

On flour surface, roll out dough to one-eighth thickness. Cut circles with 4-inch round and/or 2.5-inch round cookie cutter or cup, to make both large and small hamantaschen. Place circles on prepared cookies sheets and spoon fillings or candies in center of each. (Hint: the more you put in the center, the trickier it is to get folded corners to hold together during baking - but we do it anyway.)

Fold into triangles by pinching tops together first, then bottom. Make sure top corners of triangle lean inward over filling so they won't come apart during baking. If dough is dry, moisten hands with a few drops of water while working or spray dough sparingly with water mister. After folding, sprinkle edges with more toppings or chocolates, as desired.

Bake for 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden. Do not over-bake. Smaller hamantaschen take less time. Remove from tray to cool.

Makes 10 four-inch hamantaschen, and 17 2.5-inch hamantaschen from one batch.

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