Potato- Onion Hamentaschen

Wow first post! This is crazy exciting! I’ve been wanting to blog for a while but never had the time to properly set one up… well thank Gd for vacation now because now I have time! And just in time for Purim too!

I thought of this idea probably in the summer, but summer isn’t the time for hamentaschen. So I put it on reserve for the time being. But now, its Adar! Time for Hamentasch!! Wooohoo

Hamentachen are a  cookie, triangle shaped and traditionally filled with poppy, generally associated with the Jewish holiday Purim .

So quick history: While hamenteachen may be the first thing that pops into our head when we think of Purim, hamentaschen were only first mentioned, regarding Purim in the 1500’s in a comedy play. (and p.s. it was referring to Ozeni Haman = (literally) hamans ears, and that as punishment they may have cut off Hamans ears – which is a myth…no proof).

So whats the name Hamentaschen? It is made up of two words: Haman – Taschen. Haman was the enemy of the Jews in the Purim story, and we are celebrating his defeat, and our victory. Another explanation, is that in Medieval Europe, a popular treat was a pastry filled with “Mohn”= poppy seeds. Now if you say mohn and haman quickly, they sound similar enough.  Taschen? –  In German and Yiddish Tachen means pocket, or pouch. So together we have Haman’s Pocket.

But, if one looks in the Shulchan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law), it mentions that one should eat food made from seeds on Purim to remember Daniel living in the palace of Babylon…Where is Daniel in the story of Purim?? Well, if you read the story of Purim, you will see that Queen Esther had a faithful messenger… none other then Daniel! As these two were Jewish, and kept the laws of Kosher, but worked and lived in the palace, they did not eat anything in there, except for seeds. (now you have a quick dvar torah too :).

So where does the now classic jelly filling come from? In the 1700’s a Jewish community in Bohemia was accused of selling poisoned jelly. When he was proven innocent, and relesed from jail, it was 4 days before Purim and the community celebrated filling their hamentaschen with jelly..or in this case… Onion Jelly:

Like the blog name says, I like to revolutionize and think differently about food. So take your nice yummy sugary sweet hamentasch and turn it savory potato -sweet onion style.

I’m talking about potato dough with an onion jelly filling. I mean come on..you cant get better then that. Trust me.

 oh yeah!

It’s a pretty easy and simple recipe to make, using regular ingredients that you already have in your house.

You make a simple mashed potatoes and add flour and eggs

Then keeping your hands floured, shape pieces of the dough into hamentachen and place on an oiled pan.

 bake them, and fill with the amazing yummy jelly.

And speaking of the jelly…its like the yummiest onions you’ll ever taste. Sweet, but still onion-y. This jelly can deff be used for other purposes…like a bread dip, or steak topper (mmm), or whatever else you can think of. And it lasts in the fridge for about 2 weeks also :).

The taste of these 2 together…. Home run awesome!

And secretly, I have another reason to be excited for this post. Since its my first, I’m gunna make purim/hamentaschen my blogaversary food theme 🙂 but were getting ahead of myself…because as I’m writing this, nothing is even published yet haha.

So enjoy!

Yield 18-20 Medium size Hamentaschen

Potato Dough:

2 Potatoes, peeled

1 tsn salt

A pinch (about 1/8 tsn) pepper to taste

3/4 c flour

1 egg

Onion Jelly Filling:

1 Medium onion, diced (small)

1 Tbsn oil

1/2 tsn salt

1/4 c sugar

Instructions:

Peel, and cut the potato into cubes. Put in a pot and fill the pot with water so it covers the potatoes. Boil for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Should yield about 3 cups (if its a lot less I suggest to boil another potato).

Drain the potatoes, place on a sheet, or spread out and let cool and dry out.

Once the potatoes are cooled, mash them. Then add the egg and mix. Add the salt, pepper and flour, and mix until it turns into a slightly sticky, but shapeable dough.

*** for this next part keep your hand floured, it really helps with the shaping.

Take the dough and scoop out about 1 Tbsn at a time (or what ever size you would like), flatten and then shape into a hamentasch triangle.

Place on an oiled baking sheet, and bake 20 minutes.

Jelly:

Dice the onion (small cubes).

Heat a pan with the 1 Tbsn oil. Add the onions and salt and start to sautee them. After about 1 minute. Lower the heat to a medium-low heat and keep mixing the onions until they turn a deep golden brown color (but not burnt), about 20-30 minutes. (this low and slow cooking method will caramelize the onions).

After, add the sugar, and let it melt. After it melts, let the mixture cook and thicken, about 5 minutes.

To assemble:

Take a hamentaschen and place the jelly inside. Enjoy 🙂

*** tastes best heated up. Heat up the hamentaschen, and let the jelly come to room temp.

 

**Some of the history information obtained from Chabad.org and the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.