How to Cook for Purim

Purim is a joyful holiday, especially for the kids. It's celebrated in the Hebrew month of Adar, sometime in March, and commemorates the Jews in Persia being saved from Haman's plans to exterminate them. Esther and her cousin, Mordecai, figure prominently in the celebrations as their actions saved their people. Here's how to cook for Purim.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make hamantashen pastries. They're triangular shaped cookies most commonly made with poppy seeds, figs, dates, prunes or apricot filling that are said to resemble Haman's three-cornered hat.

2. Combine 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon of orange juice and beat in a mixer. Add 4 cups of flour gradually. Divide the dough into cylinders about 3 inches in size, wrap them and freeze.

3. Thaw the dough enough so you can work with it. With a knife, carefully cut rounds that are 1/4-inch thick. Fill these with whatever you like, being careful not to overfill. Pinch the sides to make a triangular shaped pastry and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

4. Buy or make challah that has especially long braids. This symbolizes the rope that was used to hang Haman.

5. Serve chicken or vegetable soup with kreplach. Shape them into triangles, again to symbolize Haman's hat. Fill them with chicken, liver and onions or sweet potato.

6. Bake other goodies to celebrate Purim. Maamoul are round cookies similar to hamantashen pastries because you use fruit and nut fillings. Poppy seed cake is also appropriate for this holiday.

7. Prepare "mishloach manot." These are gift baskets you give to family, friends and the needy. Your hamantashen should be at the center but include maamoul and other cookies, poppy seed cake slices, nuts, fruit and candy.

Tips & Warnings

• Some Jews cook vegetarian at Purim because Esther couldn't eat meat when she lived with gentiles.

Resources

• Choose your food for Purim.