These cookies are made especially for Purim. At Purim the tradition is to eat Hamantaschen. This is the reason why:
Although nowadays you can find hamantaschen filled with practically any type of filling (sweet or savoury), the classic hamantash was always filled with poppy seeds. Indeed, the very word “haman” can either refer to the wicked Haman or poppy seeds (mohn), and the Yiddish word “tash” means pocket. Thus, “hamantaschen” means “poppy-seed-filled pockets.” This is in line with the classic explanation given in the Code of Jewish Law for eating hamantaschen on Purim:
Some say that one should eat a food made out of seeds on Purim in memory of the seeds that Daniel and his friends ate in the house of the king of Babylon, as the verse states, “And he gave them seeds.”
But what in the world does Daniel eating seeds have to do with Purim?
The Talmud explains that Hatach, Queen Esther’s faithful messenger and one of the lesser-known heroes of the Purim story, is a pseudonym for none other than Daniel.
Furthermore, as we read in the Purim story, when Esther was in the king’s palace, she kept her identity secret. The Talmud explains that since the food was unkosher, she survived on various beans and seeds.
It is in commemoration of both Daniel and Esther that there is a custom to eat beans and seeds on Purim. The way this custom is traditionally observed is by eating pastry pockets, a.k.a. taschen filled with mohn, poppy seeds.
Based on this reason for eating hamantaschen, whenever the classic halachic sources discuss this custom, specific mention is made of the hamantash being filled with poppy seeds.
Acknowledgement: Chabad.org
Here’s the recipe courtesy of The Together Plan’s in-house foodie Michelle Rose
Ingredients
- 150g tahini
- 50g honey
- 100g date syrup
- 75g chopped dates
- 90g jumbo oats
- 50g poppyseeds
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 50g chopped walnuts
- 85g raisins
- pinch sea salt
- 1tsp cinnamon
Method
Blend the tahini, honey and date syrup until well mixed
Add chopped dates until well dispersed
Add the oats and seeds
Mix the baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon into the mix
Finally, add walnuts and raisins
Shape the mix into small balls (approx 15-18 per batch)
Place on a non-stick lined baking sheet
Press down with a fork or palette knife
Bake at 150C, gas mark 3 for 5-10 mins (depending on your oven) until golden. Watch they don’t burn. They will be very soft when they come out the oven
Leave to cool, and the cookies will be sticky and chewy
Happy partying!