Last year, my Mars-bar-obsessed daughter decided to be a Mars bar for the Jewish festival of Purim…and I indulged her by working together to make a Mars bar costume out of felt. She drew & cut out the letters and I put it all together. It was fabulous!
Well, all the Mars bar talk got me thinking about filling hamentaschen with Mars…and so I did it!
I’ll be sharing the how-to on Breakfast Television Montreal on Monday, March 10 at 7:20AM, so tune in!
You can use your favourite Hamentaschen dough, but in case you don’t have one, I will suggest either this easy-to-make cream cheese pastry by the wonderful Norene Gilletz (New Food Processor Bible – www.gourmania.com.) or Norene’s Basic Oil Dough as found in my traditional Hamentaschen Recipe (I seem to have less hamentaschen “opening up” when I use the Basic Oil Dough so if you’re a fan of orange flavour, which goes well with Mars Bar, you may prefer to use that one)
CREAM CHEESE PASTRY (DOUGH):
1/4 lb butter, in chunks
1/4 lb cream cheese, in chunks
1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
Combine all in food processor & process until a ball forms – That’s it!
(Note this recipe will yield roughly 12-15 Hamentashen (cut with 3″ cookie cutter). I recommend making 2-3 batches.)
NORENE’S BASIC OIL DOUGH: Click here
MARS BAR FILLING:
2-3 Mars Bars
There are 2 ways you can approach this:
Method #1
- Cut each Mars Bar into thirds or quarters & each third (quarter) into 2 triangles, by slicing diagonally.
- Each piece is the filling for one hamentasch
Method #2
- Break each Mars bar into several chunks & place in processor.
- Process for a few seconds until it is all crumbly / in medium sized chunks.
- Roughly 1 tsp of this mixture, squished or rolled into a ball will form the filling for one hamentasch
ASSEMBLY:
- Roll out half the dough to roughly a 1/4″ thickness (on a lightly floured surface, if necessary)
- Using a 3″ cookie cutter, cut out circles
- Place either 1 piece of Mars bar (Method #1) or 1 tsp of Mars bar filling (Method #2) into the center of each circle
Bring sides upwards to meet to form triangular shaped-cookie
- Continue with remainder of dough
- Place all on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet(s)
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown
Allow to cool before enjoying- Hot sugar from hot candy bar can = burns!
Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup version:
These little babies may be bite size…but they’re not short on yum-factor!
You’ll need a bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis.
- Proceed as above, but cut the dough into 2 1/2 ” circles
- Place 1 “mini” in the center of each circle
- Bring sides upwards to meet to form triangular-shaped cookie
- Continue with remainder of dough
- Place all on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet(s)
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown
- Allow to cool & ENJOY!
Feel more like the traditional version? Try these: https://montrealmom.com/purim-the-hamentaschen-holiday/
Remember: You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these delicious treats!!
That said, I wish all those celebrating a happy & joyful Purim!
Tanya
3 comments
Looks amazing!!! I can’t wait to try this!!!
I like the Mars bar costume.
[…] The Jewish festival of Purim is upon us again, and along with Purim comes the tradition of baking, sharing and enjoying Hamentaschen, the triangular cookies filled with yumminess in the center that can range from traditional fillings of prune or poppyseed all the way through apricot, strawberry, chocolate and even Mars Bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! […]