Hamantashen are traditional cookies with Ashkenazi Jewish origins. The cookies are filled with ingredients such as poppy seeds, apricots, raisins, lekvar prune jam, nuts, dates, raspberries, apples, cherries, figs, chocolate, or halva, and they're shaped into triangles because the cookies are especially popular during Purim, a Jewish holiday.
The shape is a reference to Haman (the villain in the Purim story) and his triangular hat or his ears, depending on who you ask. The dough is usually made with a combination of eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. It's sometimes enriched with vanilla and orange zest.
Translated as almond bread, these twice-baked cookies are typically prepared with a simple shortbread dough that incorporates eggs, flour, and whole, toasted almonds. The origin of mandelbrot is shrouded in mystery. What is certain is that they first appeared among Jewish communities, and some believe they might have been inspired by similar, also twice-baked Italian biscotti.
Because of their international status, the cookies appear under various names, and modern varieties often incorporated chocolate, dry fruit, or other nuts. They are traditionally enjoyed for breakfast when they are usually dipped in warm tea. In Ukraine, a similar variety is known as kamishbrot or thuskamish.
Crunchy and only slightly sweet, tahini cookies are a Middle Eastern treat made with tahini sesame paste, sugar, butter, and flour. The cookies are often topped with either pine nuts, sesame seeds, or almonds. It is recommended to pair them with a big glass of milk.
MOST ICONIC Tahini Cookie
As a result of the preparation method, kichel cookies are light and airy, which earned them the nickname of nothings. The ingredient list is short and simple; eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, and sometimes baking powder. Although sweet, they are often eaten with savory dips or with chopped herring in South Africa.
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