Purim is here, and I'm ready!
I really love this holiday.
Spring feels like it's just around the corner, and nothing makes me happier than seeing all the kids dressed up in costumes and exchanging mishloach manot (Purim gift baskets of food).
My school days are long behind me, but I still love putting together food gifts for the people I love, packed with a variety of homemade baked goods. Years ago, I'd go all out making endless sweets and pastries with white flour, white sugar, chocolate, candy, cream fillings—you name it.
Over the last few years, though, I've gradually swapped refined flours for whole-grain flours, and candy for an assortment of fruit or savory baked goods that go easy on the sugar and salt. This recipe is a great example, with a nice mix of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
I love serving these hamantaschen (the triangular filled pastries traditionally eaten at Purim) at Purim parties. Grown-up parties, not kids' parties, okay? A savory whole-spelt pastry with a glass of wine—or two—is my idea of a perfect, wholesome party snack.
Let's talk nutrition for a minute:
Each hamantasch contains:
120 calories, 3 grams of protein, 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of fat.
So don't go overboard! Yes, they're that good. And yes, I ate five of them during the photo shoot. Do as I say, apparently.
Savory Vegan Hamantaschen With Whole Spelt Flour
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 5 cups whole spelt flour Whole wheat or rye flour won't work here.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup soy milk unsweetened
- 1 cup olive oil It's wonderful in the sweet version, too—don't skip it!
- 1 container soy yogurt 125 g (4.4 oz)
For the Filling
- 2 leeks sliced
- 1 cup cooked white beans Canned beans work, too.
- 1 cup shelled pistachios Cashews or blanched almonds work beautifully, too. No soaking needed.
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill You can also use basil, rosemary, or another herb you love.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds optional
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Instructions
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Start with the dough.
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In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder until thoroughly combined.
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In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients: olive oil, soy milk, and yogurt, along with the crushed garlic. Mix well.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until no dry flour remains and the dough comes together evenly. There's no need to knead it excessively.
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Set aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the filling.
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In a skillet, sauté the leeks with the olive oil, coriander seeds, and dill until the leeks are lightly browned, 2–3 minutes.
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Finely grind the pistachios in a spice grinder, or chop them finely with a large knife.
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Mix the seasoned leeks with the chopped pistachios and white beans until you have a cohesive filling. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
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Divide the dough in half. Roll one half into a thin sheet on your work surface. There's no need to flour the surface.
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Use a drinking glass to cut out circles of dough. Place a little filling in the center of each circle—about 1/2 teaspoon is plenty.
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Fold up the edges of each circle and pinch them together at three corners to form the classic hamantaschen triangle. Transfer to a baking sheet.
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Brush each pastry with a little olive oil mixed with soy milk.
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Repeat with the second half of the dough.
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Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 15–20 minutes.
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Take them out, let them cool, and dig in!
A Few Notes From Me
For a sweet version:
Add 2 tablespoons of silan (date syrup) to the bowl of wet ingredients when you first mix them.
For a sweet filling, mix 400 g (14 oz) of date paste with 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
For a lower-fat version with 80 calories per pastry:
Reduce the olive oil in the dough to 1/2 cup.
Replace the pistachios with the same amount of white button mushrooms.
