Hello my friend,

I hope all is well with you 🥰. In a week and a half it will be Purim! So it's time to start thinking about delicious festive foods, mishloach manot gifts, and all the joy and celebration that this holiday brings.

Firstly, if you're wondering what Purim's all about, I've written a guide to the festival that covers the history, traditions, food and customs involved. You can read it here. (Spoiler alert - it's not all hamantaschen!)

Secondly, if you're already planning your mishloach manot gifts, you might like to read this guide that includes all kinds of ideas and top tips, as well as foods and treats to choose, and a number of themes you might like to use.

And lastly, I've hand-picked some of my favourite Purim recipes for you. These all stem from the tradition to eat foods relating to Haman - the villain of the Purim story - such that he is utterly destroyed! Only crumbs remain... You'll find the recipes below.

Delicious Purim recipes

Celebratory festive foods are inevitably richer and more indulgent than their everyday counterparts - that's what makes them special! If like me, you're trying to eat a healthier diet, there's no need to miss out. These are occasional treats, and not everyday foods, and you cannot make or break a healthy diet with a single day of food choices! Try to combine the once-a-year Purim foods with more nutritious items if you can. However it's also fine to go all-in and eat 12 chocolate hamantaschen single handed! Enjoy the Purim treats while they last and return to your 'normal' healthier diet after the festival.

• ​Classic British hamantaschen buns​
  Sweetly glazed, soft yeasted dough and a gooey and delicious poppy seed filling. The perfect hamantaschen (IMHO)!
• ​Sushi hamantaschen​
  ​Not remotely traditional but fun and delicious! A great savoury 'finger food' item to include in your Purim seudah menu.
• ​Pizza hamantaschen​
  Another less-than-traditional variant. These cheesy, Italian-inspired delights are easy to make and a fun addition to your mishloach manot.
• ​Eccles cake hamantaschen​
  If you love an Eccles cake, you'll love these! A sweet and fruity filling wrapped in golden puff pastry. Perfection!
• ​Caveos di Aman​
  A Bulgarian Purim dish made with noodles, olives and eggs in a zingy lemon and poppy-seed dressing. Super tasty!
• ​Haman's fingers​
  ​Filo pastry cigars with a spiced fruit and nut filling. Crunchy, delicious, and no added sugar! One of my favourite Purim treats.
• ​Gingerbread men for Purim - Lebkuchen Hamohns​
  ​Originating in Alsace, these spicy guys enable you to fully consume our enemy! Thick, slightly chewy gingerbread, sweetened with honey.

Shabbat Shalom

Did you get the recent cold snap where you are? We had sleet and snow on Sunday and it's been freezing all week! Brrrr. I'm hoping that Shabbat will bring us some renewed warmth and good weather. Or at least some time to snuggle under a blanket with a hot drink!

Wishing everyone blessings of peace, health and happiness, and a very Good Shabbos - Shabbat Shalom! - to you and yours.
With love, Helen x.

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