Purim – March 8, 2012

For Ashkenazic Jews, Purim’s cuisine features two main staples: hamentaschen and kreplach. The variety is greater among Sephardic Jews. For example, Koloocheh is a Persian Purim cookie in which a walnut and rosewater filling is encased in a buttery cookie dough. Ghouribi are Moroccan sugar cookies, Orejas de Haman, Sephardic hamentaschen.  Sambusak el Tawa is an Iraqi chickpea turnover that represents the ‘secrets’ of the Purim story as well as the vegetarian fare that Esther had to eat in Achashveirosh’s castle in order to maintain her kashrut. Hadgi Badah is another Iraqi Purim cookie that’s made with cardamon and almonds.

I was tempted to cook up a Persian Purim feast to commemorate the community of Esther and Mordechai. I also contemplated branching out to more Sephardic Purim fare. But the fact is that we live in a generation where Ashkenazic food is quickly disappearing. When Purim rolls around the ubiquitous hamentaschen seems to be increasingly seen more than its eaten. After years of making chocolate-filled hamentaschen, chocolate-dipped hamentaschen, reverse-chocolate hamentaschen, and white-chocolate coated hamentaschen, I tried something new today — Meringue Hamentaschen. It was a hit, so I’m posting it.

Purim Recipe #1:

Meringue Hamentaschen

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper and heat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
3. Add sugar gradually, then salt and vanilla.
4. Drop spoonfuls of meringue ‘batter’ and place on cookie sheet. With the back of a spoon, shape the ‘batter’ into an approximate triangle. With a clean finger, smooth the edges to a sharp triangle.
5. Place a spoonful of chocolate chips into the middle of the meringue.
6. Place in oven for ten minutes. Shut off oven and leave the meringues for an hour or so until slightly golden in colour. Remove from oven.
7. When cooled, drizzle chocolate across the ‘hamentaschen’ and over the centre. Enjoy!