The buzz around hamantaschen is rapidly catching up to sufganiyot hype, and we are here for it! Hamantaschen, however, are trickier to perfect — in the wrong hands, they can be a miserable mouthful of dry dough and flavorless filling. But when done right, these triangular cookies can reach dizzying heights.
There will always be a place for classic flavors like poppy seed and prune, but we love it when people get creative. This year welcomed a new crop of totally outrageous, out-of-the-box hamantaschen that we can’t wait to try. We rounded up the best on Instagram for your enjoyment.
1. Barbecue Meatball Hamantaschen
Who said hamantaschen had to be sweet? We’re all about a savory rendition, and nothing looks more tempting than Miriam Pascal, AKA Overtime Cook’s, meaty, sticky, totally modern take.
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2. Black Sesame and Blood Orange Hamantaschen
The sky’s the limit when it comes to flavor pairings, and we love Whitney Fisch, AKA JewHungry’s, innovative combo. They’re dramatic, different, and sure to impress.
3. Lemon Meringue Pie Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen are a great excuse to rework the classics, and Malca Vardi nailed it with these beautiful cookies. Plus, who can resist the perfectly piped meringue kisses on top?
4. Purple Sweet Potato, Eggplant, and Cheese Hamantaschen
Pastry chef Lior Mashiach, AKA lioroooosh, forgoes the now-classic cookie dough in favor of puff pastry. These savory beauties look like the lovechild of Purim and bourekas, and we can’t wait to have a go.
5. Facon and Silan Hamantaschen
Carrying on down the savory route, Nina Safar, AKA Kosher in the Kitchen’s, fake (i.e. kosher) bacon and date honey hamantaschen are the decadent, salty-sweet treat we never knew we needed.
6. Strawberry Shortcake Hamantaschen
Admittedly, The Culinary Trio’s hamantaschen do not fall under the “outrageous” category. But they do fall under the “delicious” category, which is almost as good. We love the addition of dried strawberries to give the cookies a real berry punch.
7. Cardamom Salted Peanut Hamantaschen
If we’ve learnt anything from the recent hamantaschen boom, it’s that these cookies are incredibly versatile. Carolina Gelen’s sophisticated goodies are made to be enjoyed at night, with kids in bed and a strong martini in hand. L’chaim!
