Every country has its own traditions when it comes to cookies. Whether for breakfast or as a treat alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee, sometimes a little bite of something sweet is all you need to make your day!
Shortbread, Snickerdoodles, Biscotti, or Mamouls, it's hard to find a family home where there isn't a jar of freshly baked cookies in the living room waiting to be served! Especially in Israel, you will find that even complete strangers are often invited into a home for a plate of cookies and a cup of tea! The diaspora Jews brought many cuisines and ingredients from around the world to the Holy Land, so when you enter an Israeli household, you can expect a wonderful selection of cookies that are very different from those next door! And remember, cookies can also be healthy! You can find ingredients to ramp up the nutritional value. Spelt flour instead of white flour or silan (Israeli date honey) instead of white sugar. However you make your cookies, we're sure they will turn out delicious if you include the one essential ingredient - love!
If we're already talking about cookies and traditions, then we absolutely must introduce you to Oznei Haman, the delicious cookies that are baked to be eaten and enjoyed during the Purim festival!
Celebrate the Purim festival with delicious Oznei Haman cookies!
Oznei Haman, Hamentaschen. Whatever name you use, you need to make these famous cookies inspired by the events of the Purim story!
During the rule of King Achashverosh of the Persian Empire, a plot was hatched by his evil advisor, Haman, to destroy the Jews. A series of events occurred in which the future Queen would turn out to be Esther, a Jewish girl, who along with her cousin, Mordechai, the leader of the Jews, managed to foil Haman's wicked plans.
Purim is celebrated by Jewish people all around the world. We hold festive meals and invite the whole community to join in! One of the customs of Purim is to gift friends and family 'mishloach manot' food parcels, which often include Purim cookies!
Triangular in shape, the original versions were filled with poppy seeds, and then other flavors were introduced, such as jam, chocolate, or, in Israel, Halva! Nowadays, you find gourmet Oznei Haman and even savory versions!
What's with the names? Well, Oznei Haman is Hebrew for 'Haman's ears'.
There are various explanations, among them that after Haman was arrested, his ears were clipped, and the triangular shape represents his ears. There is also a reference to a pastry called 'Oznayim' when describing the manna that fell from heaven. Hamantaschen means 'Haman's pocket' or 'purse' in Yiddish (a language spoken by Ashkenazic Jews of 9th century Eastern Europe). 'Mohn' means poppy seeds while 'tasch' means 'pocket. And that's exactly what Hamantaschen is, little triangular baked pockets with a poppy seed filling! To avoid any confusion, in 1912 the Hebrew Language Committee declared that the official Hebrew name for Hamantaschen would be Oznei Haman!
Let's make Oznei Haman for Purim!
Ingredients:
200gm butter (room temperature)
350gm flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
100gm powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fillings:
Jam/Chocolate spread/Halva spread/Dulce De Leche/
Poppy Seed Filling:
1/2 cup of ground poppy seeds
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of milk
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Recipe:
1: Whisk the butter and sugar together until it forms a creamy texture.
2: Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix some more.
3: Add the flour and baking powder and mix gently until it forms into a dough.
4: Lightly flour a surface and tip out the mixture onto it.
5: Roll out the dough. If it is too sticky, put the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.
6: Once flat, cut circles out of the dough and remove the excess.
7: Place the filling in the middle of each circle and fold them inwards to make a triangle.
8: Bake at 180 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until ready!
For the poppy seed filling, pour the poppy seeds, milk, and sugar into a saucepan and let it cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Take it off the stove and mix in the honey and lemon zest if using. Let it cool down for five minutes, then place it in the fridge to solidify. Take it out when ready to use!
The Purim festival is one of the most joyful in the Jewish calendar. And nowhere can you feel and experience this joy more than in the Holy City of Jerusalem!
Head out to the town center on Purim day and witness the street parties, parades of people in fancy dress, and the general good mood of the entire population! It is very important that Purim is celebrated together, as one people, and many of the festival's customs are focused on this. We give charity, (on Purim, we are forbidden from turning down anybody who requests charity), we give food parcels to friends and family, host or join a communal Purim Seuda (a festive meal with plenty of wine!), and give what is called Machasit Hashekel, a donation in commemoration of the donations our ancestors gave towards the building of the Tabernacle. Oznei Haman is just one small but sweet part of the Purim story. So wherever you are, bake yourself a fresh batch of Oznei Haman, share them around and enjoy!
Your opportunity to enjoy quality products made 100% in Israel - in your very own home!
All products we send to subscribers of our monthly surprise packages have been made 100% by artisans living across the Biblical heartlands of Judea and Samaria. From jewelry to ceramics, Judaica to art pieces, hours of toil and hard work have been invested into each and every product! From Beit El to Shilo, and Jerusalem and Herbon, these artisans are harnessing the pioneering spirit of their Biblical ancestors to make these regions flourish once again! These products provide an incredible opportunity for subscribers to connect to these regions which are filled with biblical history.
Our offices and warehouse are located in Kfar Etzion, in the Gush Ezion bloc, just south of Jerusalem. From here, we set out to meet and discover the pioneers and their products, and the communities they live in. We live and breathe the Bible and the Land of Israel and explore them every chance we get.
At Lev Haolam we are proud to bring the love of Israel into the homes of tens of thousands of people around the world every month!
At Lev Haolam we are proud to bring the love of Israel into the homes of tens of thousands of people around the world every month!
