Our hamantaschen recipe

Our hamantaschen was filled with fruit jam or chocolate chips, or chocolate, however you can also fill it with a prune filling, poppy seeds, figs, etc.

Dough :

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup or 175g butter or margarine cut into pieces


2 tablespoons water


1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 egg, beaten



Egg wash : 1 egg, beaten and 1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 200°C (350°F).

Stir together the sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and mix in with a fork until crumbly. Add the water, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix until the dough comes together in a ball.
If you have time you can refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes OR continue directly to next stage
Sprinkle flour on a work surface and a rolling pin, then flour your hands. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll it out. Cut dough with cutter into circles. Brush lightely with egg wash. Put a teaspoon of filling in te centre of the circle. Fold up three edges of the dough and pinch them together to make a triangle. Brush the entire cookie with egg wash.
Place on a baking sheet. Bake until light golden at the edges, +/- 20 minutes in a conventional oven (not fan). Let cool on a rack. Repeat

A variation : instead of using 2 tablespoons of water you could use freshly squeezed orange juice OR for fun you could sprinkle rainbow sprinkles on the top once the triangle has been made. The dough can also be used for simple cookies.

Our Purim Activity

On Sunday we prepared for Purim and what a funday we had !!

We read a very interactive and story of how Esther (also known by her jewish name Hadassah) was chosen as queen of Persia and how with the help of her uncle Mordechai she uncovered a plan that the wicked Haman was putting together to destroy all the jews. We learnt how brave Esther was and how wise Mordechai was. During our story lots of noise was made by all !


We say a new noisy song:
If you hear the name of Haman stomp your feet. (stomp feet twice) repeat
If you hear the name of Haman, if you hear the name of Haman, if you hear the name of Haman stomp your feet (stomp feet twice)
If you hear the name of Esther clap your hands......
If you hear the name of Ahasuerus turn around.....
If you hear the name of Mordecai shout hooray....

We then rolled up our sleeves and baked our own purim cookies and the traditional hamantaschen. As if that was not enough we also made little baskets to in which we put our purim cakes and sweets.

Reading our interactive purim story:










Singing our purim song :












Then hard at work: First we rolled the dough, then cut it in circles, filled it with chocolate, chocolate chips or jam, pinched the corners into the form of a triangle and into the oven it went:

Making our purim baskets :

And after all that hard work a well deserved snack to share :

Well done to all the kids !

Purim

Purim is a special holiday. We are encouraged to be enthsuastic about being silly and happy. We are celebrating our freedom, our pride in Esthers bravery and her clever plan in overcoming the evil plot of Haman. Whilst singing, dancing, joking and wearing costumes are among the ways to celebrate as a community we remember a major victory over oppression. The story of Purim is read from the Megillah a special scroll. Purim takes place during the twelfth month of the hebrew calendar.

This year Purim begins at sundown on March 19th.

At the time of Purim we are commanded to fulfill 4 mitzvot (good deeds) :

1. Mishloach Manot - sending gifts to friends and family

2. Matanot l'Evyonim - sending gifts to the poor

3. Listening to the megillah (story of the book of Esther)

4. Participating in the purim feast and being festive!

Join the community on March 19th as we read the megillah in costume and high spirits.

Also come along in costume as the silliness continues on Sunday at a joint community Purim party ...