Jill Eileen Smith's Star of Persia is a fantastic retelling of Queen Esther's story from the Bible. From Mordechai's house near the Jewish section to Xerxes's palace in Susa, Star Of Persia follows Esther's life. Smith has done a wonderful job of describing Esther's humble beginnings to life in the opulent palace and the danger and intrigue that lurk in the harem. I love the theme of God's faithfulness that carries throughout the book.
I highly recommend The Star Of Persia. So grab a tray of Hamantaschen, a pot of tea and find a comfortable nook in which to curl up and savor this book.
I was given a copy of Star Of Persia with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.
From Amazon:
In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast. When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is sure he has a second chance at happiness.
In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes's wives is vying for position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther's adoptive father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position: risk her life or consign her people to annihilation.
With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia.
About the author:
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, Wives of the Patriarchs, Daughters of the Promised Land, The Heart of a King, Star of Persia, Miriam's Song, and the nonfiction When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams, and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).
Hamantaschen cookie recipe:
Easy Hamantaschen Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter at room temperature (3/4 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 orange zested (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla and orange zest to the butter mixture and beat together until fully combined and creamy.
- Mix in the flour and salt until the dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disc, wrap and chill; for about 2 hours.
- While the dough is chilling assemble your fillings. I like to use preserves, spreads, and Nutella for beautiful colors and a range of flavors. You can make your own or buy ready made at the market.
Rolling and shaping dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once the dough is chilled, it will be stiff. I like to let it sit out for a few minutes which helps with the rolling process. Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Using a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough until it's quite thin; about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. The thinner you roll the dough the more delicate the cookies will be. The guys in my house love the cookie so much, I make a few thicker ones for them :).
- Using a 3-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a 3-inch diameter glass, cut circles from the rolled dough and transfer to the baking sheet. Gather scraps and re-roll the dough. If you're using a thin dough, you should be able to make about 35 circles. A thicker dough will yield less cookies.
- Place 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle. Be careful not to overfill as the it will seep out during baking.
Assembling the cookies
- Fold the left side of the circle toward the center. Then fold the right side of the circle toward the center and overlap the upper part of the left side.
- Finally, fold up the bottom part of the circle to form a triangle. Tuck the left side of the bottom flap underneath the left side corner of the triangle, and the right side of the bottom flap over the right side corner of the triangle. This folding technique helps keep the filling inside the cookie during baking.
- Pinch each corner to secure the triangular shape. If any cracks have formed in the cookie dough, smooth them with your fingers until they disappear. Repeat for all cookies.
Baking the cookies
- Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the corners and the filling is bubbling. The time difference will depend on your oven and the thickness of your cookies. I begin checking them at 10 minutes and usually bake for about 12 minutes, using a thinner dough.
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