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What do you get when you combine my two favorite desserts in one? Carrot Cake Hamantaschen!
You may already know about my love for hamantaschen and my ongoing effort to reinvent the deli classic with new and novel flavor combinations. This springtime-inspired cookie pays homage to the carrot cake, with carrots blended into a spice dough, and stuffed with a cream cheese frosting filling with chopped walnuts.
There are three tricks to hamantaschen that don’t open when baked. The first is to not overfill the hamantaschen. One teaspoon of filling is plenty; if you add too much, it will push the edges out when baking, causing it to open. The second secret is to fold the hamantaschen into a triangle, and don’t simply pinch it (see my Instagram reel for examples!). Lastly, before baking, refrigerate your shaped hamantaschen for 10-15 minutes or prevent any spreading.
Carrot Cake Hamantaschen
Makes 20-24
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tsp. cornstarch
- 3 Tsp. finely grated carrots, packed
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
Filling
- 1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese
- ¼ cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tsp. finely grated carrots
- 2 Tsp. finely chopped walnuts
Start by making the dough. In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, mixing on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.
Add the flour, cornstarch, carrots, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, mixing on low until combined.
Use your hands to shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, egg yolk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, carrots, and walnuts. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Rewrap one half of the dough with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge. Roll the other half of the dough on a well-floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness.
Use a 3-inch circular cookie cutter (or glass) to cut out circles, and transfer them to the lined baking trays. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush each circle with the cornstarch mixture. Reroll the scraps until all dough is used. If you find the dough is sticking to the glass, dip it in flour before cutting.
Place 1 tsp. of the filling in the center of each circle. Fold the left side of the dough towards the center, covering a small portion of the filling. Fold the right side of the dough toward the center, slightly overlapping with the left on the edge closest to you, creating a triangle shape. Fold the top of the dough over, pinching the edges together, or tuck it over like an envelope. Pinch each corner to secure.
Repeat with the remaining circles, and transfer the tray to the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Move the hamantaschen directly from the fridge to the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until just golden. Note: If you roll the hamantaschen out too thick, it will take longer to bake. Check for doneness around 12 minutes.
Let cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.