Recipe by Dena Gershkovich, RDN.

I am so excited to share this healthier hamantaschen recipe with you. The “er” here is because, well, as a registered dietitian nutritionist, it’s hard for me to call a recipe with 3/4 cup of sugar in it truly nutritious. I wholeheartedly believe that this recipe is one of those that just happens to have some extra nutrition in it, not one that became compromised in the process of becoming “healthified.”

In the same way you might not notice if a warm, doughy loaf of fresh homemade challah had flax seeds on top, so too that idea applies here – the nutritious additions in this recipe are subtle, tasteful and understated.

In the case of the challah, even though you’re not there for the flax seeds, you’ll still be getting an omega-3 fatty acid boost. When you eat these hamantaschen, you’ll be getting some whole grains and protein in, due to this recipe containing whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, and almond butter, which work to make the cookies more satisfying. These ingredients complement the warm, sweet spices – including cinnamon and nutmeg – in the dough. These hamantaschen taste better because they contain whole wheat flour; they were not modified from a better-tasting version in order to be deemed “healthy.”

Meaning: You will still feel like you’re enjoying a cookie – as you should on Purim! – when you eat these hamantaschen.

With that, I would like to wish you a Purim sameach and the ability to enjoy these cookies – and whatever other sweets you desire on Purim – guilt-free!

Please keep in mind that this recipe contains almonds. Always notify your recipients if a baked good in your Mishloach Manot contains nuts or any other high allergy foods.

Almond Butter Hamantaschen with White Chocolate Drizzle

Yield: Approximately 24 hamantaschen

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, slightly softened (can use vegan butter, like Earth Balance)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 and 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour like Shibolim White Whole Wheat + plus additional for rolling out dough

1/2 cup Gefen Almond Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Gefen Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of salt

Creamy almond butter, such as Gefen, for filling

1 cup mini white chocolate chips, for drizzle

2 tablespoons coconut oil + additional by the tablespoon, as needed, for drizzle

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter (or Earth Balance) with sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes on medium-high speed).
*NOTE: If you are softening butter in the microwave, do not microwave for more than ten seconds, as it’s important that the butter is not melted.

3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Continue beating until incorporated. Set mixture aside.

4. In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat pastry flour with the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix until even.

5. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in several additions, mixing on low speed between each addition. Be careful not to overmix – mix until the flour is just incorporated. If there is flour remaining on the sides of the bowl, use a spatula to incorporate it into the dough. At this point, the dough should be slightly sticky and be able to be formed into a ball.

6. Using the pastry flour, flour your kitchen surface and roll out the dough using a rolling pin until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use the rim of a glass to cut circles for your hamantaschen.

7. Using two teaspoons (one to scrape the other), place a very small dollop of creamy almond butter inside the center of each circle. Pinch the circle to create triangular hamantaschen. The dough may need a bit more coaxing than your typical hamantaschen cookie dough, however, once the corners are pinched, it should hold its shape well in the oven. Use a spatula to transfer the raw cookies to the baking sheets.
*NOTE: If dough becomes too challenging to work with, you can create thumbprint hamantaschen cookies. To do this, pat the sides of each circle to shape the dough into triangles, and use your thumb to create a deep indent in the center of each triangle. Fill each indent with almond butter. Remember that a little bit of almond butter goes a long way, especially if you are creating the thumbprint version of this recipe!

8. Bake hamantaschen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes, until edges are golden-brown. Set aside to cool.

9. While hamantaschen are baking, prepare the white chocolate drizzle: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Stir the mixture frequently until the chocolate melts and an even sauce-like mixture forms. Mix in more coconut oil if the mixture is too thick. Remove from flame.

10. After hamantaschen have cooled for at least ten minutes, use a teaspoon to drizzle the white chocolate mixture over them. If you aren’t serving the hamantaschen immediately, place them in the fridge to help the chocolate set. Enjoy!

You can watch Dena make this delicious recipe in the video below.