# Yay! It's Hamantaschen-Baking Season At the Steinhardts Again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024 "2007-02-28T14:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/1 "2007-02-28T14:56:13Z")
As we’ve done in the past, the Steinhardts have once again baked hamantaschen for Purim. And, as [I’ve](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=170393)[done](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=243343)[in](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309060)[the past](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=362600) , I’m here to bore everyone with photos again. 😃 [Enjoy!](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=c495re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) And for historical reference, here are pictures from previous years: [2006](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=2620&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) [2005](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=6eb4&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) [2004](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=6da3&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) [2003](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=95cc&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) [2002](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/album?.dir=c91f&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/waynes1068/my_photos) Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/2 "2007-02-28T15:04:47Z")
I walked through the hallways at MIT and saw an announcement for **The Great Latke-Hamantaschen Debate**. I know _latkes_, but I never heard of _Hamantaschen_ before ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/3 "2007-02-28T15:07:13Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I walked through the hallways at MIT and saw an announcement for **The Great Latke-Hamantaschen Debate**. I know _latkes_, but I never heard of _Hamantaschen_ before [/QUOTE] Hamantaschen are delicious little sweet cookie-like things. IIRC, it translates from Yiddish to “Haman’s pockets.” I don’t quite know who Haman is, but I have a feeling it’s something from the OT of the bible. That said, I love both latkes and Hamantaschen. Recipe? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/4 "2007-02-28T15:10:38Z")
Hamantaschen are three cornered pastries with filling in the middle. This year, the fillings were poppy (usually a traditional favorite), lemon and cherry. You can see the final product in the pictures. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/5 "2007-02-28T16:47:27Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] Hamantaschen are delicious little sweet cookie-like things. IIRC, it translates from Yiddish to “Haman’s pockets.” I don’t quite know who Haman is, but I have a feeling it’s something from the OT of the bible. That said, I love both latkes and Hamantaschen. Recipe? [/QUOTE] Read the book Esther. Haman is the Grand Vizier of the Persia-Medea Empire, who gets so annoyed that one merchant won’t bow at his feet, that he goes genocidal. It’s a wonderful story of sex, lies, and getting drunk on wine. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/6 "2007-02-28T17:13:01Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] Read the book Esther. Haman is the Grand Vizier of the Persia-Medea Empire, who gets so annoyed that one merchant won’t bow at his feet, that he goes genocidal. It’s a wonderful story of sex, lies, and getting drunk on wine. [/QUOTE] Don’t forget dumping chamber pots on your father’s head and committing suicide out of shame! And it’s somehow become a great family event, with happy kids in costumes making lots of noise with noisemakers and eating pastries! I kid, I kid. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I’m glad you shared the pics again, **zev\_steinhardt**. Wow, those kids have grown! ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/7 "2007-02-28T18:09:20Z")
The photos are great - would you like to post a recipe or two, or a link to a recipe? ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/8 "2007-02-28T18:23:39Z")
Mmmm… Hamantaschen… reminds me of the fact that I need to ask mom for her recipe this year. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/9 "2007-02-28T18:29:07Z")
[QUOTE=zev\_steinhardt] Hamantaschen are three cornered pastries with filling in the middle. This year, the fillings were poppy (usually a traditional favorite) [/QUOTE] Don’t traditions, by definition, transcend the “usual”? Say the Dougs eschew the beloved standing ribroast one Xmas in four. It’s still the traditional favorite. But who cares. Kids and yummies. Now that’s a tradition! ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/10 "2007-02-28T18:35:20Z")
Jewish Sunday School kindergarten teacher here: Traditionally, the hamantaschen are triangular to recall Haman’s tri-cornered hat. Zev - do you make your own fillings? Do you have a good poppy recipe? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/11 "2007-02-28T18:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Zev - do you make your own fillings? Do you have a good poppy recipe? [/QUOTE] No. The filling are store-bought. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/12 "2007-02-28T18:44:32Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] Read the book Esther. Haman is the Grand Vizier of the Persia-Medea Empire, who gets so annoyed that one merchant won’t bow at his feet, that he goes genocidal. It’s a wonderful story of sex, lies, and getting drunk on wine. [/QUOTE] Is this the story relating to Purim? ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/13 "2007-02-28T18:52:06Z")
Yup ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/14 "2007-02-28T19:06:44Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Jewish Sunday School kindergarten teacher here: Traditionally, the hamantaschen are triangular to recall Haman’s tri-cornered hat. Zev - do you make your own fillings? Do you have a good poppy recipe? [/QUOTE] We make poppy seed fillings for kolackeys, which are essentially the same pastry in a different shape. I don’t have to worry about kosher, but I’m sure you can edit as fit if anything isn’t appropriate. Here’s what we do: 1 cup finely ground poppy seeds. I use the dry canister of my Vita-mix, but a coffee grinder would probably do. 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons honey (Is honey kosher? I think it is, but maybe not for everyone. Sugar and water or vegetable glycerin will work if you can’t use honey, but you’ll have to work out amounts on your own.) juice from half a fresh lemon (I don’t know, maybe 2 teaspoons?) 3 tablespoons finely chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans or, if you’re feeling decadent, pine nuts. Grind it all up in a Vita-mix, food processor or coffee grinder until it comes together in a paste. You might need a little more honey, so keep the bear handy. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/15 "2007-02-28T21:24:58Z")
This ain’t one of those “hey let’s trick random strangers into looking at our family photos” threads again? :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/16 "2007-02-28T21:37:08Z")
Your kids have gotten so big. It’s just amazing. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/17 "2007-02-28T22:03:11Z")
No, ouryL. It’s an almost-Spring tradition here. Zev posts pictures of the kids baking Hamantaschen every Purim. I’m disappointed they’re not in costume this year, but what’re ya gonna do. They’ve grown so big! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/18 "2007-02-28T22:09:13Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I walked through the hallways at MIT and saw an announcement for **The Great Latke-Hamantaschen Debate**. I know _latkes_, but I never heard of _Hamantaschen_ before [/QUOTE] University of Chicago has that debate every year too. What is the essence of the debate? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/19 "2007-02-28T22:18:15Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] The photos are great - would you like to post a recipe or two, or a link to a recipe? [/QUOTE] There’s a recipe on [npr.org](http://npr.org) today. The filling is a rather hoity-toity fig/ginger one, which sounds good, but maybe not kid-friendly. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024/20 "2007-02-28T22:47:30Z")
**Zev** , how do you pronouce the name of your beautiful daughter? [sub]The first person to post “It’s pronounced ‘Throatwarbler-Mangrove’” gets smacked with a dead trout.[/sub] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-its-hamantaschen-baking-season-at-the-steinhardts-again/394024.md?page=2)