Celebrate Purim with gluten-free orange Hamantaschen - from Central Florida to the Central Himalayas with love

I love how food can cross continents and oceans to bring people together. I recently saw a Hamantaschen recipe on Instagram from Namita, blogger of Ambrosia Soulful Cooking. I was first drawn to this recipe because she made her shortbread Hamantaschen cookie dough with orange juice. Living in Central Florida, oranges are near and dear to my heart. We are surrounded by orange trees and local orange groves. In fact, Walt Disney World was built on 30,000 acres of orange groves and swamp land!

When I clicked on Namita’s Instagram feed, I fell in love with her beautiful baking and the serenity of her home in the Central Himalayas. From over 8,200 miles away - with a simple cookie recipe to celebrate Purim - I felt connected and inspired to try her Hamantaschen recipe with the local flavors of my home in Central Florida. I imagined the juice from freshly squeezed Florida oranges incorporated into the dough and a chunky orange marmalade filling from a nearby farm store.

The results were orangey - double orangey and delicious. A sweetly delicate orange flavored short-bread cookie with a yummy orange filling. It tasted like a true burst of sunshine and happiness - right from my home in the “Sunshine State.”

Like Namita, I didn’t use egg (she writes that you can use one egg and adjust the amount of orange juice to form a soft dough). The only adjustment I made was using gluten-free flour. Here’s Namita’s recipe with my adjustments below. I am calling the recipe…

Gluten-Free Double-Orange Hamantaschen

Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch of your own (about 14 or so cookies):

Ingredients:

1 cup flour or gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur - Gluten Free - Measure for Measure)

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons orange juice (or enough to make a supple dough)
Local preserves (I used orange marmalade from a nearby farm store)

Here’s how I made them:

1. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, butter and vanilla. I used a fork to combine the ingredients.

2. Slowly mix in the orange juice - add just enough to bring the dough together. When combined, it should be soft (not sticky) when touched. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it get cold in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

3. Unwrap your dough and roll it into a circle with a rolling pin. My dough was not sticky, and I did not need additional four on my work surface. Try not to roll the dough too thin, or the points of the cookie will not stick together. Using a 3” cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds.

4. Transfer the circles onto to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a drop of orange marmalade into the center of the circles. If you have extra dough, ball it up, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can make additional Hamantaschen circles from it until you use up all the dough.

5. Pinch three corners of the dough together to create a triangle. I carefully added a little more orange marmalade in the opening of the the cookie.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and refrigerate the orange marmalade filled cookies for 30 minutes. Then bake for 15 minutes or so until they are lightly golden.

I made two sizes - 3” circles and 2” circles. I like the way the 3” circles came together best! :)

7. When out of the oven, let the Hamantaschen cool completely. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

And that’s it! Double-Orange Hamantaschen. They’re so cheerful, and perfect for Purim - the happiest Jewish holiday of the year! You can make them for the holiday or anytime you need a burst of sunshine!

Have you made Hamantaschen for Purim this year? Let me know in the comments below! We have more wonderful ideas to celebrate Purim with Hamantaschen - like “No Bake” Hamantaschen (really - no baking required - and kids can make them too!), Better-than-Best Hamantaschen, a favorite recipe from the back of a Jewish storybook, and for a DIY craft, make a felt puffy Hamantaschen necklace, and for more ideas, be sure to check out our Purim Round-up of activities too!

Let me know if you try our Double-Orange Hamantaschen recipe! Special thanks to Namita of Ambrosia Soulful Cooking for inspiring me with her beautiful blog.

Chag Sameach! Happy Purim!

~Jennifer