The Story:

Once upon a time (we begin this way, because the story of Purim is a fairy tale) King Ahashverosh ruled over Persia.  Ahashverosh had a beautiful wife named Vashti.  One night, he asked her to dance for their party guests.  She refused and he banished her from the kingdom.

Ahashverosh needed a new wife.  All the young women in Persia came to the palace.  The king picked Esther to be his new queen.

Now, Esther had a secret.  Her real name was Hadassah and she was a Jew.  Her uncle, Mordechai, told her to take the name Esther (which means "star" in Persian) and hide her Jewish identity from her new husband.  Esther listened to her uncle.

Ahashverosh was advised by a very wicked man named Haman.  Haman was very powerful and insisted that all who saw him, bow to him.  Mordechai refused to bow to Haman.  Jews bow only to God.

Haman became insensed and told the king to have all the Jews killed.  Ahashverosh agreed and all the Jews were to be killed.

Mordechai knew how much the king loved Esther.  Mordechai told his neice to tell Ahashverosh that she was Jewish.

Esther was scared.  By telling the king she was Jewish, she was risking her own death.  But to do nothing would ensure the death of her people.  Once again, Esther listened to her uncle Mordechai.  She bravely went to her husband, the king, and told him someone was trying to kill her people.  The king was horrified and promised his wife that whomever was trying to harm her people would be killed.  Esther told him she was a Jew and that Haman was behind the plot.  True to his word, Ahashverosh had Haman killed and the Jews were saved.

The Whole Megillah

The story of Purim is found in the Book of Esther which is not part of the Torah (or Five Books of Moses).  This special scroll (known as the Megillah) is read the eve before Purim.

The Fun

Purim is a fun holiday. 

• Children dress in costumes,
• friends exchange baskets of treats (mishloach manot),
• adults are supposed to drink so much they can't tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman,
• we shake noise makers (called groggers) whenever the name Haman is read (so to drown out the name)
• we eat triangular-shaped pastry (called hamantaschen) that recall the tri-corner hat worn by Haman
• we act out funny versions of the Purim story (Purim Schpiel)

Books

Help your children learn about Purim through these delightful books.

Projects

Purim dolls (click for link to Project page)

Purim Costume (click for link to Project page)

Hamantaschen

Ingredients:

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus butter for greasing the pan

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons apple or fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

filling

store bought pie-filling (apple, prune, strawberry)

 

Instructions:

1.  Prepare the pastry.  In a food processor, blend the butter with the sugar.  Add the egg, juice and vanilla and pulse until smooth.  Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the food processor.  Pulse until the ingredients are combined and form a ball around the blades.

Or make the dough using an electric mixer:  In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, and then the juice and vanilla.  Combine the remaining ingredients and mix in.  Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead the mixture until all the flour is well-incorporated and the dough is smooth.

2.  Divide the dough into 4 balls and wrap each well with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degreesF.

4.  Work with one ball of dough at a time, leaving the rest wrapped and refrigerated.  Divide the ball into 12 pieces of equal size; when rolled between your palms into balls, they should be slightly larger than walnuts.  Flatten the balls between sheets of plastic wrap with the palm of your hand, and pat them into even rounds about 3 inches in diameter.  I find this way there is less waste, the dough won't become soft from overhandling, and it is easy for those who lack experience or skill in handling dough.  Pastry mavens may prefer to roll out the dough between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper to about 1/8 inch thickness, then cut out rounds approximately 3 inches in diameter, using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass.  Reroll the scraps and cut them out.

5.  I've found that hamantaschen edges sometimes open slightly during baking, if not very firmly sealed.  Here's a good trick:  Place a pastry round on a piece of plastic wrap.  Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center.  Working your fingers under the plastic wrap, fold one side of the pastry up, making a little rim along the filling.  Then fold the two adjacent sides up and together, forming a triangle.  Pinch and smooth the edges through the plastic wrap until the seams are just about invisible.  The plastic wrap keeps the dough moist and pliable.  You should have a little triangle of pastry, the filling exposed in the center like a tiny, open tart.  Pinch the edges together tightly at all three corners so there is no gap for the filling to seep out.

6.  Place the finished hamantaschen about 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.  Continue making hamantaschen until you have used up all the dough and filling.  Keep the unbaked hamantaschen in the refrigerator until you are ready to put them into the oven.

7.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pale golden.  Cool them on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

Yield:  About 48 hamantaschen

(recipe from THE GEFILTE VARIATIONS by Jayne Cohen)

 

 

 

 

 

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