Disclaimer: almost all of my recipes are sugar free, gluten free, and dairy free, because that's how I eat most of the time in order to feel my best, but I let a little bit loose for purim 😜Let me tell you why I chose the ingredients I did.
I always get questions about using different types of sugars and if they're all equal. On the surface, sugar is sugar and overconsumption is not good for our health, even when it's in natural forms like honey or coconut sugar. On a deeper level, there is a difference between how our bodies metabolize glucose and fructose, with fructose being more problematic for many people with hormonal imbalances, and different sweeteners have varying concentrations of glucose, fructose and sucrose. Even natural sugars are broken down into glucose and/or fructose, cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar, which contributes to a whole bunch of chronic and hormonal health issues in the long run. I also personally find it very difficult to moderate sweet things because of how addictive it is. If I start adding sweetness to my salad dressings, protein marinades, and here and there in treats, I just start craving it all the time. So normally I keep a tight boundary around it. But, Purim comes once a year and hamentaschen are my favorite cookies of all time. So I decided to add a bit of coconut sugar in here, which has a lower fructose to glucose ratio than regular white table sugar and goes through a less intense chemical process. Also, while I usually pass on the dairy because it gives me a whole bunch of stomach issues you don't want to know about, I do occasionally eat butter, which is low in lactose and A1casein (the sugar and protein in dairy products that cause issues for most people).
What you fill your hamentaschen with is a very personal choice and speaks volumes about who you are as a person. I won't use anything other than chocolate, and may G-d have mercy on anyone who chooses to fill their hamentaschen with poppyseed filling, but add whatever floats your boat to these and enjoy them how you like them.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups almond flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar (you can add more if you want, but this was definitely sweet enough for me)
1/4 cup butter, ideally from organic, grass fed cows
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
For the homemade nutella filling:
1 cup hazelnuts, roasted and shelled
1/4-1/3 cup cocoa powder depending on how chocolately you want it
5 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup plant based milk, or more if you want it thinner
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
For the nutella filling:
Preheat the oven to 300°F or 150°C.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and add hazelnuts.
Roast for about 10 minutes. The smell should be divine.
Wait for them to cool and using a kitchen towel or your hands, gently remove the shells from the hazelnuts.
In a food processor fitted with the S blade, add hazelnuts, cocoa powder, dates, milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt.
Pulse until combined.
Add more milk or water to thin out.
Note: you will have lots of extra filling! Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days for a fun snack.
For the dough:
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add in the almond and tapioca flour slowly, 1 cup at a time and mixing in between.
Add almond milk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined.
Cover the bowl and store in fridge for 30+ minutes. This will make it much easier to work with.
Assembly:
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.
Line your countertop with parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. I like my cookies a little thick, but go for 1/8 inch or less.
Use a clean glass or circle cookie cutter to make circles in the dough.
Add about 1 tsp of homemade nutella to the center of each circle.
Create the triangle shape by folding down 3 "sides" of the circle over the filling, leaving just a bit of it exposed to see.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, depending on how soft/crispy you like them.
Remove from oven and let cool (or honestly eat em hot because they're delicious that way).
Store in an airtight container on the countertop for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy and Purim Sameach!!