Date, Walnut, Chocolate and Tahini Hamantaschen
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature [1 used for egg wash]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 cup tahini
1/8 cup melted dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cream
Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours & 30 minutes
Servings: about 18 Hamantaschen
*Hamantaschen will last up to 4-5 days covered on the counter.
Steps
Let one egg & butter come to room temperature. Once at room temperature, cube butter into small pieces & cream together with sugar using a hand or stand mixer.
Once butter & sugar mixture is light & fluffy, add one egg & vanilla extract & mix together.
Slowly mix in salt & flour until a crumbly dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a large ball. Then, form into a thick disc, cover with plastic wrap & let sit in the fridge for at minimum 2 hours. You can also leave the dough overnight, just make sure to let it thaw at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before rolling out.
While dough is chilling or thawing out, make your filling. First, melt dark chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler over the stove.
In a food processor, combine dates, walnuts, melted dark chocolate, tahini, cocoa powder, cinnamon & a pinch of salt. Puree until a thick paste forms.
Chill the filling in the fridge until your dough is ready. Your filling will harden in the fridge, making it pliable when filling your Hamantaschen. [Pro tip - if you have leftover filling, rolled it into balls and dip in melted chocolate for a “healthier” chocolate truffle]
Pre-heat oven to 350 [F] degrees.
Take dough out of fridge & lightly flour a flat surface. Roll out dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or glass cup, cut out dough discs for your Hamantaschen. You may need to re-form the leftover dough into a ball a few times & roll it out to cut out more Hamantaschen.
Roll about 1 teaspoon of the filling into a ball with your hands & flatten slightly into a small disc. Place filling directly in the middle of each cookie. Gently pinch the dough together in three corners, making a triangular cookie with the filling slightly poking out in the middle. Continue this process until all Hamantaschen are filled & folded. [Pro tip - add the filling to all cookies first before pinching the dough, then wash your hands & pinch the cookies closed as to keep the dough clean. Your hands will be covered in the chocolatey filling!]
Mix 1 remaining egg & 1 tablespoon of cream together to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush egg wash on to all sides of Hamantaschen. This egg wash will create a glossy, deep golden brown crust.
Bake Hamantaschen on a parchment paper-lined baking tray for 20-30 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Turn baking tray halfway through baking for an even bake. [Make sure your baking rack is in the middle of the oven to prevent the bottoms of the Hamantaschen from burning.]
Let Hamantaschen cool on a baking rack & enjoy!