Chocolate Strawberry Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen are triangular, jam-filled cookies served on the Jewish holiday of Purim. Variations on the fillings are endless – I’ve even come across savory ones, like the New York Times’ caramelized onion and poppy seed hamantaschen (read more about the recipe, and the history of Purim, here) – but I had yet to encounter hamantaschen made with chocolate dough.

Then, on a whim the other day, I swapped some of the flour in Tori Avey’s excellent dairy-free hamantaschen recipe for cocoa powder. I happen to love the combination of chocolate dough and strawberry preserves, but you can’t go wrong with any other flavor of jam. Fig, raspberry, or apricot preserves would be just as delicious, or you might even want to try filling some of the cookies with white chocolate chunks or dulce de leche.

Chocolate Strawberry Hamantaschen 

Adapted from Tori Avey’s Dairy-Free Hamentaschen

2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
10 teaspoons (around 1/4 cup) strawberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
4. Add flour, mixing until just incorporated.
5. Shape dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for around 30 minutes.
6. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, and roll until around 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Fill each round with 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry jam. Fold dough to form a triangle (for a tutorial on folding, click here.) Dip your fingers in water, and pinch the corners of the triangle to seal them.
7. Transfer hamantaschen to prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes. It can be difficult to tell when chocolate cookies are done, as the color of the dough doesn’t change very much. If in doubt, bake for less time rather than more, to avoid over baking.
8. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yields approximately 20 hamantaschen