Hamantaschen with Tahini–Chocolate Chip Filling
By Jessica RudolphPublished on December 19, 2024
Time
2 hours, plus 2 hours chilling
Yield
Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
FILLING
¾ cup tahini ¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips ¼ teaspoon table saltDOUGH
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar 1 ounce cream cheese ¾ teaspoon table salt 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour 8 teaspoons sesame seedsBefore You Begin
We developed this recipe with Ziyad Tahini Sesame Paste. It has a smoother flavor and a more fluid consistency than other brands. If you use a different brand and the filling is too stiff, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the filling has the consistency of peanut butter.
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in bowl until evenly combined; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, cream cheese, and salt on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute longer. Reduce speed to low, add flour, and mix until dough is uniform, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to sheet of plastic wrap, form into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap 1 dough disk, place in center of large piece of parchment, and cover with second large piece of parchment. Roll dough into 12-inch round of uniform ⅛-inch thickness, occasionally flipping dough and gently peeling off and replacing parchment to avoid creases. Refrigerate rolled dough sheet between parchment while repeating rolling (between parchment) with remaining dough disk.
- Peel off top piece of parchment from 1 rolled dough sheet. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into 11 or 12 rounds and space evenly on prepared sheet. Dollop 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a time, fold 3 sides of dough over filling to create triangle shape, overlapping dough at corners and leaving small window of filling exposed. Gently press corners to seal and press any cracked edges back together. (If dough becomes too fragile to work with, return briefly to refrigerator.) Dip your fingertip in water and moisten folded flaps of dough, then sprinkle and press about ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds onto edges of each cookie.
- Bake cookies until evenly golden brown around edges, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat process with second sheet of rolled dough.
- Gather dough scraps into rough disk shape and reroll between parchment to ⅛-inch thickness. Repeat cutting, filling, shaping, and baking with rerolled dough; rerolled dough should yield 4 to 8 additional cookies. (Do not reroll scraps a second time.) Let cookies cool completely before serving. (Cooled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
for the filling
for the dough
Time
2 hours, plus 2 hours chillingYield
Makes about 30 cookiesIngredients
FILLING
¾ cup tahini
¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon table salt
DOUGH
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 ounce cream cheese
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons sesame seeds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
FILLING
¾ cup tahini
¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon table salt
DOUGH
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 ounce cream cheese
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons sesame seeds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
FILLING
¾ cup tahini
¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon table salt
DOUGH
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar
1 ounce cream cheese
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons sesame seeds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Hamantaschen are the iconic filled triangular cookies traditionally eaten on Purim. For our version, we were after a crisp, buttery cookie that kept its shape in the oven without opening or leaking. We used a small amount of cream cheese in place of some butter to make a pliable dough that handled beautifully without cracking or sticking. Rolling the dough to a thin ⅛ inch made sure the cookies were crispy, not dense or tough. For a filling inspired by chocolate halvah, we sweetened and thickened tahini with confectioners’ sugar and then stirred in mini chocolate chips. A finishing sprinkle of sesame seeds was an attractive garnish, and it helped identify the filling.
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe with Ziyad Tahini Sesame Paste. It has a smoother flavor and a more fluid consistency than other brands. If you use a different brand and the filling is too stiff, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the filling has the consistency of peanut butter.
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in bowl until evenly combined; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, cream cheese, and salt on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute longer. Reduce speed to low, add flour, and mix until dough is uniform, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to sheet of plastic wrap, form into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap 1 dough disk, place in center of large piece of parchment, and cover with second large piece of parchment. Roll dough into 12-inch round of uniform ⅛-inch thickness, occasionally flipping dough and gently peeling off and replacing parchment to avoid creases. Refrigerate rolled dough sheet between parchment while repeating rolling (between parchment) with remaining dough disk.
- Peel off top piece of parchment from 1 rolled dough sheet. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into 11 or 12 rounds and space evenly on prepared sheet. Dollop 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each round. Working with 1 round at a time, fold 3 sides of dough over filling to create triangle shape, overlapping dough at corners and leaving small window of filling exposed. Gently press corners to seal and press any cracked edges back together. (If dough becomes too fragile to work with, return briefly to refrigerator.) Dip your fingertip in water and moisten folded flaps of dough, then sprinkle and press about ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds onto edges of each cookie.
- Bake cookies until evenly golden brown around edges, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat process with second sheet of rolled dough.
- Gather dough scraps into rough disk shape and reroll between parchment to ⅛-inch thickness. Repeat cutting, filling, shaping, and baking with rerolled dough; rerolled dough should yield 4 to 8 additional cookies. (Do not reroll scraps a second time.) Let cookies cool completely before serving. (Cooled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
for the filling
for the dough
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