Prune Hamantaschen
A day late and a dollar short as they say. My intention was to make prune hamantaschen in time for Purim but I didn’t have prunes in the house. That wasn’t the only reason why they weren’t ready. I had wanted them to have a closer consistency to the real thing and the dehydrator wasn’t cooperating.
I like my new dehydrator. Marie and her family got it for me for Christmas. The problem is I got so used to having Marie’s professional one in the house that I get frustrated; my home dehydrator takes a lot more time. I hadn’t allotted for that difference and depending on which dehydrator you have will depend on how long these damn cookies take to dry.
Hamantaschen were always a treat for me growing up. My mother was a practicing Orthodox Jew and I was introduced to these perfect cookies very young. Back then you could only get them on Purim, a Jewish holiday that would be about on par with Halloween, but with Bible stories. The shape is symbolic and it’s a long story that if you’re interested you can look up the story of Queen Esther. Even the Cliff’s Notes are too long to post here.
Normally hamantaschen are made with a ton of butter, they can range from a deliciously crumbly cookie to a mouthful of sawdust. I’m serious, many people have been turned off by an overly dry hamantaschen. The filling is usually prune, apricot or poppy seed, but can be any fruit filling you like. I hate poppy seed! Yuk! So don’t expect me to include it here.
I want to note that while these are a far cry from what a real hamantaschen tastes like, they are close and really, really good.
RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Prune Hamantaschen
The Cookie
1 cup almond flour
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
Put all the ingredients together until it forms a ball. Shape it into thick triangles and push your finger into the center to make a well for the filling. Place in the dehydrator at 115 degrees for 48 hours (yes, that long).
The Filling
1 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup raisins
Cover prunes and raisins in filtered water and let sit overnight to plump up. Drain the water and blend leaving it a little lumpy.
Once the cookies are done, fill the center and enjoy!
