Mini Chocolate Or Fruit Rugelach Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat butter with cream cheese until smooth.
• Add flour, alternately with sour cream ending with flour.
• When all is combined, divide into 10 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour, or more.
• Roll out one disc into an 8 inch circle, leaving others in frig until you're ready for them.
• Melt jam in microwave for 20 seconds and brush over dough circle, and/or spread with warm ganache.
• Chop raisins and nuts with sugar and cinnamon in food processor.
• Sprinkle filling sparingly over jam or chocolate ganache.
• Cut circle with a pizza cutter into 12 triangles by cutting in fours, and then each 1/4 into 3 triangles.
• Roll each one beginning with wide end. Place on cookie sheet point side down. (otherwise they will unroll while baking).
• Sprinkle tops with combined cinnamon and sugar.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse 10 times. Pulse in cream cheese until the mixture becomes crumbly. Sprinkle in buttermilk and pulse until the mixture comes together when pressed. Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide into thirds. Wrap each third in plastic, and shape into a disc. Refrigerate discs for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl combine apricots, sugar, and nutmeg; set aside.
• On a floured board, roll out one of the discs to 1/8-inch thickness. Using an inverted bowl, cut dough into a 7 1/2-to-8-inch circle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into wedges, dividing it first in half, then into quarters, then into eighths. Brush each section lightly with jam, and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of apricot mixture, leaving the narrow ends clear. Roll each cookie into a crescent shape, beginning at the wide end, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each cookie with egg white, and sprinkle with almonds and then sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and store in an airtight container. Repeat with remaining 2/3 of dough.

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour to combine. Mix in vanilla.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into three equal pieces, and shape into flattened disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, pulse together the walnuts, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the cinnamon, and pinch of salt until finely ground; set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 10-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the top evenly with melted jelly. Sprinkle with a third of the walnut mixture and a third of the currants. Using the rolling pin, gently roll over the round to press the filling into the dough.
• Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the round into 16 equal wedges. Beginning with the outside edge of each wedge, roll up to enclose filling. Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Lightly beat the whole egg; brush over tops, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake two sheets, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining baking sheet. Rugelach can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Rugelach how-to
• Rounds of cookie dough are covered with melted apricot jelly, ground walnuts, and currants, then cut into even wedges.
• The wedges are rolled up around the filling before baking.

Steps:

• For dough:
• Blend first 3 ingredients in processor. Add butter and cream cheese and cut in using on/off turns until dough begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• For filling:
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 9-inch round. Spread 3 tablespoons cherry preserves over dough, leaving 1-inch border. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons dried cherries, then 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and 2 tablespoons walnuts. Press filling firmly to adhere to dough.
• Cut dough round into 8 equal wedges. Starting at wide end of each wedge, roll up tightly. Arrange cookies, tip side down, on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart and bending slightly to form crescents. Repeat 3 more times with remaining dough disks, preserves, dried cherries, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar and walnuts. Place baking sheet in freezer 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush cookies lightly with whipping cream. Bake frozen cookies until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.)

Steps:

• In a food processor, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine all the dough ingredients. Process or beat until it becomes dough-like. (In a food processor the mixture will form a ball, and stick together. With a mixer, it just turns into dough. Don't over beat.) Put aside.
• Now, in your food processor, combine all the filling ingredients and process until finely chopped. If you don't have a processor, you can do this in a blender -- just make sure you stop and scrape and sides down several times so that everything is evenly ground.
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces and dust each one with flour. Dust the counter or tabletop with flour, too. Roll a piece of dough into a circle, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. Handle the dough gently, and don't be afraid to sprinkle it with more flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. Cover the entire surface of this circle with some of the filling in a thin, even layer. Using a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife) cut the circle into 8 wedges, pizza-style. Roll each wedge up -- starting at the wide, outside edge -- rolling firmly toward the point. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, bending slightly to form a crescent. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
• Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned on top, but not burnt on the bottom.