Happy Purim readers!
May I present you with my blackberry cheesecake hamantashen! These “hummies” are gluten-free, keto-friendly, simple-to-make and delicious – trust me! If you want to make these completely dairy-free, you can substitute with parve cream cheese in the filling. The dough is dairy-free since I used coconut oil, but you can definitely substitute with butter!
Savory Hamantashen?
Everywhere you look, there are new and exciting recipes popping up for Purim, and looks that that savory is beating out sweet this year.
A few years ago, my mother-in-law hosted a “Rosh Chodesh Adar” party for her friends and she made crowd-pleasing savory hamantashen filled with ground beef and onions. The dough was crispy with a chewy center, the meat was sweet yet savory, and the onions were caramelized to perfection. Gosh, now I’m getting hungry – and I don’t even eat meat!
While savory hamantashen have been hogging all the spotlight the last few years, I am going back to my roots.
A childhood classic
I remember my mom making hamantashen from scratch when I was a kid. Of course, classics like poppy seed and apricot were always our go-to’s, but it was her strawberry cheesecake and chocolate peanut butter fillings that I remembered the most. They were different, yet utterly delicious.
What about my mom’s berry cheesecake “hummies“? They were the perfect bite – a creamy, slightly tart and sweet filling, surrounded by perfectly golden brown crispy dough in the familiar triangular-shaped Purim cookie. This reminds me of home. 🙂
So thank you mom, for this year’s inspiration!
Wishing you all a Freilichin Purim!
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute, like Swerve) I like using the confectioner's Swerve in most recipes!
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice add the zest of a half a lemon if you have a fresh lemon handy!
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted You can use butter instead, if you prefer
- 1/8 tsp maple extract or vanilla extract if you have it!
- 1/4 cup fresh blackberries you can use frozen, just make sure they're thawed and drained of any excess liquid
- 1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute, like Swerve)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional) I like ANYTHING tart, so feel free to omit if this would be too tart for you
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 oz. cream cheese, softened You can use parve cream cheese to make this recipe completely dairy-free!
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To make the dough: Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
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If the dough it too wet, add a bit more almond flour; if it's too dry, add a few tablespoons of water and knead until it's no longer clumpy
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Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium-sized saucepan, add the blackberries, sugar (or Swerve, if using), lemon juice (if using), salt, and vanilla extract.
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Cook on medium heat until the ingredients come together and the blackberries have softened and released their juices and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook and burn the filling.
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Let the filling cool for 10 minutes, then add to a bowl with the softened cream cheese and stir until fully mixed but you still see some "swirls" - you don't want the mixture to be TOO mixed into one giant purple blob.
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Pre-heat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Take the dough out of the fridge, and (using damp hands), roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thickness, and using a small glass, press in the dough to make circular cut-outs.
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Stretch the dough a bit (if it's too dry, add a touch more water), and add a tsp of filling right in the center of the circle - if ever in doubt, add less filling than you'd think - you don't want to over-stuff the hamantashen.
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Fold up the sides to make a triangle and place on the parchment paper.
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Cook for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy - but watch the oven carefully so they don't get too dark.
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Let cool and devour!
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