Rugelach Recipe

Rugelach

Prep: 0 10min0

Total: 0 1h55min0

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Serving Size: 1 of 48 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 48 servings, calories 118, Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 4g, Carbohydrate 13g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 8g, Protein 1g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 30mg

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Instruction:

1. Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
3. On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges?cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Rugelach

Delicious to eat and fun to make, rugelach are miniature crescent-rolled pastries with a sweet filling.

Total: 2h45min

Yield: 48 cookies

Serving Size: 2 cookies

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 2 cookies, calories 181, Fat 12g, Carbohydrate 17g, Protein 2g, Saturated Fat 7g, unSaturated Fat , Sugar 8g, Fiber 1g, Sodium 58mg, Cholesterol 38mg

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife, plus more for rolling dough
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¾-inch chunks
• 8 oz (1 package) cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup raisins
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Instruction:

1. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add the chunks of butter and cream cheese, as well as the egg yolk. Pulse until the dough is moistened and crumbly with curd-like pieces about the size of peas. Dump the dough out onto a work surface. Knead just until it comes together and shape into a square or rectangle. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and flatten into 1-inch thick discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Wipe out the food processor. To make the filling, place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the walnuts and raisins are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until the dough is ready.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. (If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable enough to roll, but not too soft.) Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 10 – 11-inch circle, or just under an ⅛-inch thick. Sprinkle more flour and turn as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Spread ½ cup of the filling over the dough; using your hands, press the filling into the dough to anchor it.
6. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the dough into twelve equal wedges (just like you would cut a pizza). Roll each wedge up, beginning with the wide end and ending with the point. Place the rolls point-side down, about an inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have 24 rugelach on each baking sheet.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, or until the tops are lightly golden and the bottoms are golden and crisp (at first glance, it might look like the bottoms are burnt, but that’s just the dark filling oozing out). Transfer the rugelach to a rack to cool.
8. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Shape the dough into 2 discs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and then proceed with recipe. They can also be assembled and frozen before baking: Arrange them on a baking sheet (so they’re not touching) and freeze until very firm. Transfer them to an airtight container. They can be baked directly out of the freezer; they may just need a few extra minutes in the oven. To Freeze After Baking: Let the rugelach cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove them from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Rugelach

This classic Jewish-American rugelach recipe uses a very cold cream cheese–based dough to make tender, flavorful rolled cookies full of sweet jam and cinnamon.

Total: 9 hours 45 minutes (includes chilling dough)

Yield: Makes about 44 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup plus 4 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup apricot preserves or raspberry jam
• 1 cup loosely packed golden raisins, chopped
• 1¼ cups walnuts (¼ lb.), finely chopped
• Milk for brushing cookies
• Special equipment: parchment paper; a small offset spatula

Instruction:

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7×5″ rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.
2. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 1–1½”-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12×8″ rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a tray and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.
4. Whisk ½ cup sugar with cinnamon.
5. Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread ¼ cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula. Sprinkle ¼ cup raisins and a rounded ¼ cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar.
6. Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in same manner and arrange 1″ apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 tsp. of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make ¾”-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1″ intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, refrigerate until firmer, 20–30 minutes.)
7. Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm on baking sheet set atop wire rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through. Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in the May 2004 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best cookie recipes →

How To Make Perfect Holiday Rugelach | Melissa Clark | NYT Cooking

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