This year for Purim I wanted to come up with a savory hamantachen recipe that I knew my guests would genuinely enjoy. Flaky puff pastry, creamy mashed potatoes, and glazed pastrami instantly make these a winner for your next Purim gathering.
I used instant mashed potatoes (you can make your own if you like), and store-bought puff pastry, so they literally take moments to put together.
Simply cut circles out of your puff pastry using a cookie cutter, fill with potato, wrap with pastrami, and brush the top with the glaze (recipe below).
Important tips when it comes to wrapping the pastrami:
Wrap loosely. Make sure the pastrami is secure enough so they won’t fall off, but loose enough so there is room for the dough to puff in the oven.
Make sure the pastrami pieces are long. Make sure the pastrami is long enough to tuck under the bottoms of the hamantaschen. If you use three short pieces, instead of two long ones, they will come apart when the dough rises in the oven. The long pieces wrapped underneath the hamantaschen is what holds them together to keep their shape.
Pinch corners tightly to close: When forming your hamantaschen, be sure to pinch the corners firmly closed so they don’t open when baking.
The wrapping could be confusing without the help of photos. Take a look below to help you along the way.
Cut one piece of pastrami in half lengthwise.
Cut one of those pieces in half. Each hamantaschen will require 1 1/2 strands.
Use the long strand of pastrami first. Lay it over the top corner, leaving 3/4 of an inch of excess pastrami on the left to tuck under.
Tuck the excess under.
Wrap the longer end of the pastrami underneath, down the center of the hamantaschen.
Cross back up, over the right corner.
Wrap under once more and trim the end of the pastrami if it’s too long. Cut off just what is visible.
Next, take the second piece of pastrami and wrap over the last corner. Tuck the ends under.
If the pastrami is too snug, very gently loosen them so there is some room between the meat and dough. This gives the puff pastry room to puff/rise in the oven.
Carefully transfer to a baking sheet, holding the bottom so it doesn’t unwrap.
Brush just the pastrami with the glaze and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
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Disclaimer: Working with puff pastry can be a little tricky and unpredictable. You need to be a little more precise and patient when making these.
To ensure they hold their shape, remember the following:
- Wrap the pastrami with some extra room for them to rise.
- Working with long strands is essential to keeping them closed.
- Pinch the sides closed tightly.
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- 1 17.3 oz box puff pastry (2 sheets), defrosted
- ¾ cups cooled mashed potatoes, instant or homemade
- 14 long slices pastrami
- For the Glaze:
- ¼ cup apricot jam
- ⅛ cup spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- Preheat the oven 415 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using a 2¾ inch cookie cutter, cut 9 circles out of each puff pastry sheet, eighteen in total. Fill the centers with 1 teaspoon mashed potatoes and pinch the corners to form a hamantaschen. Pinch the corners firmly.
- Cut one slice of pastrami in half lengthwise. Cut one of the halves in half. Each hamantaschen will require 1 and a half strands.
- Use the long strand of pastrami first. Lay it over the top corner, leaving ¾ of an inch of excess pastrami on the left to tuck under. Wrap the longer end of the pastrami underneath, down the center of the hamantaschen.
- Cross back up, over the right corner. Wrap under once more and trim the end of the pastrami if it's too long. Cut off just what is visible. Next, take the second piece of pastrami and wrap over the last corner. Tuck ends under.
- If the pastrami is too snug, very gently loosen them so there is some room between the meat and dough. This gives the puff pastry room to puff/rise in the oven. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet, holding the bottom so it doesn't unwrap.
- Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Brush just the pastrami with the glaze and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
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