My mom’s recipe for hamantashen, developed in California and then adapted in myriad ways by five daughters and daughters-in-law, is the best recipe any of us have ever used or eaten. It’s soft-baked, it’s incredible and best of all, it’s impossible to mess up. This is one of those recipes that’s endlessly adaptable and utterly reliable.

For example, some of us add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a spicy kick, and another replaces half the liquid with lemon juice for a subtly tart burst. We’ve added extra eggs by accident to no ill effect, and made the cookies successfully in varying climates and elevations. To make this recipe even more legendary, my cousin Jennifer Gage reported that two years ago she was able to make the hamantashen successfully and deliciously on top of a wood stove in the middle of a blackout/blizzard.

And don’t just take my word for it! The recipe won the 2013 Jerusalem Post’s hamantashen recipe contest (http://tinyurl.com/hjehrrk). The cookies were made by Zohar Friedman, JPost’s social media editor, and she added lemon zest and raspberry filling. It was enjoyed in the JPost’s offices on Purim day 2013! No one in my family was remotely surprised by this win.

No one who has ever used my mom’s recipe has ever not passed it on to others, to our knowledge. We invite you to enjoy it and share it. My mom Ruth Book is famous for her hamantashen, and now you will be too!

This recipe yields approximately 40 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsalted margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs (or the equivalent in egg replacer)
• 4 tsp. milk, rice milk or water
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup of your favorite filling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cream together margarine and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture with the mixer on low, alternating with water or rice milk.

5. Chill the dough for 1 hour to overnight (this step can be skipped if you’re in a rush; cold dough is just easier to handle), then roll out with flour sprinkled below and above the dough, to 1/4 inch thickness, and using a water glass or round cookie cutter, cut into 2-inch rounds.

6. Fill each round with 1 heaping teaspoon of your favorite filling, and draw up sides for triangle.

7. Seal edges with cold water.

8. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes. Reduce your oven temperature if the dough begins to burn on the bottom. It is very common that ovens run hot, especially if you are baking in batches and the oven has been on for multiple hours. I use an internal oven thermometer for this reason.

9. To keep hamantashen soft, store in airtight containers.

By Elizabeth Kratz