Rugelach Recipes

Steps:

• Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.
• Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).
• Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers...they freeze very well.
• Variations: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer apricot jam as well as brown sugar. Then add the recommended filling. You may also make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll the rugelach in this prior to putting them on the cookie sheets.

Steps:

• 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- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 1- to 1 1/2-inch-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
• Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12- by 8-inch 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.
• Whisk 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.
• Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread 1/4 cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 cup raisins and a rounded 1/4 cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar.
• 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 inch apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make 3/4-inch-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1-inch intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, chill until firmer, 20 to 30 minutes.)
• Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle blue and white coarse sugar on a work surface. Unroll the pie crust onto the sugar and press into the sugar.
• Spread the dough evenly with the jam. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting at the end opposite the pointy tip. Arrange on the baking sheet, pointy-tip down.
• Bake until the wedges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• 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.
• To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• 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.

Steps:

• 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.
• To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• 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.

Steps:

• To Make the Dough:
• Let the cream cheese and butter rest on the counter for 10 minutes-you want them to be slightly softened but still cool.
• Put the flour and salt in a food processor, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and pulse the machine 6 to 10 times. Then process, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, just until the dough forms large curds-don't work it so long that it forms a ball on the blade.
• Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day. (Wrapped airtight, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
• To Make the Filling:
• Heat the jam in a saucepan over low heat, or do this in a microwave oven, until it liquefies. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (Silicone baking mats are great for rugelach.)
• To Shape the Cookies:
• Pull one packet of dough from the refrigerator. If it is too firm to roll easily, either leave it on the counter for about 10 minutes or give it a few bashes with your rolling pin.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 11- to 12-inch circle. Spoon (or brush) a thin gloss of jam over the dough, and sprinkle over half of the cinnamon sugar. Scatter over half of the nuts, half of the currants and half of the chopped chocolate. Cover the filling with a piece of wax paper and gently press the filling into the dough, then remove the paper and save it for the next batch.
• Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges, or triangles. (The easiest way to do this is to cut the dough into quarters, then to cut each quarter into 4 triangles.) Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each cookie becomes a little crescent. Arrange the roll-ups on one baking sheet, making sure the points are tucked under the cookies, and refrigerate. Repeat with the second packet of dough, and refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking. (The cookies can be covered and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; don't defrost before baking, just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.)
• Getting Ready to Bake:
• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To Glaze:
• Stir the egg and water together, and brush a bit of this glaze over each rugelach. Sprinkle the cookies with the sugar.
• Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until they are puffed and golden. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Divide dough into 4 portions; place each portion on sheet of plastic wrap. Use floured hands to pat each portion into 1-inch-thick round. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Cover baking sheets with foil or parchment. Combine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon.
• Roll one portion of dough into 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface; spread with 1 Tbsp. preserves, then sprinkle with 1/4 of the nut mixture. Cut into 16 wedges; roll up, starting at short side of each. Place, point sides down, on prepared baking sheets; shape into crescents. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp. cinnamon-sugar. Repeat with remaining dough, preserves, nut mixture and cinnamon-sugar.
• Bake 25 min. or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely.

Steps:

• Cream butter, cheese, and zest with a mixer on medium speed.
• Sift dry ingredients and add; blend just until incorporated (use a wooden spoon if hard to mix).
• Shape dough into a thick log and divide into three 8-oz. portions.
• Wrap each piece in plastic and flatten into a disk.
• Chill dough overnight before using.
• Preheat oven to 350°; line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Prepare (but keep separate) walnuts, cinnamon-sugar (mix 3/4 cup sugar with the 1 TBS cinnamon), melted butter, egg-water wash (mix egg with the 1 tsp water), and sprinkling sugar.
• Lightly dust work surface with flour.
• Flatten a chilled dough disk lightly with rolling pin, then roll it into a 12" circle, 1/8" thick.
• Flip dough often to prevent sticking.
• Ragged edges are normal.
• If there are big gaps in the dough, just trim off a little dough from another area (any place it goes over 12") and patch it in inches.
• Lightly brush the dough with melted butter; sprinkle 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar over the entire surface.
• Then sprinkle 1/3 cup chopped walnuts on the sugar.
• With the rolling pin, gently press the nuts into the dough all the way across the circle-this will help keep the nuts in place when you roll up the cookies.
• Use a pizza wheel to cut 16 wedges-first cut the circle in half, then in half again to make quarters. Now cut each quarter in half, then again to make 16.
• Starting at the wide end of a wedge, roll it to the center of the circle to make a crescent.
• Place on a prepared baking sheet, point down, spacing 1" apart.
• Gently brush cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake 20-30 min., or until brown, rotating pan halfway through baking.
• Cool rugelach on racks.
• **Special Tip**:
• Rugelach rules are minimal-here is how to roll, assemble, and bake.
• Rolling: It's fine if you don't roll a perfect circle (I can't!). The dough will crack at the edges- that's okay! Once the round is roughly 12" across, patch gaps with dough trim from the sides.
• Assembling: Don't skimp on cinnamon-sugar and nuts when assembling rugelach. You'll think it's overloaded inside, but most of the cookie's flavor comes from the filling. Coarse sugar sprinkled on top makes festive-looking rugelach, but if you don't have it, just use a good amount of regular sugar.
• Baking: Of these three rules, baking is most critical. Rugelach must be baked long enough-they're thick in the middle and will take longer to bake than most other cookies. Your goal is a cookie with rich browning all the way around-but not too much!

Steps:

• In a medium-size bowl, blend the flour, icing sugar and salt, using a fork.
• Cut the butter and cream cheese into 1-inch cubes.
• With a pastry blender, cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until the dough is the consistency of small peas.
• Then, work the dough with your hands until it has a coarse meal texture.
• Press the dough into a ball.
• If the dough is too soft to roll, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a fork, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.
• Divide the dough into four pieces.
• On a lightly floured board, using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece into a 12-inch circle, approximately 1/8-inch thick.
• Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the circle, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup each of the nuts and raisins.
• Alternatively, you can spread half of the jam over the circle and sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts.
• Repeat with the 3 remaining pieces of dough.
• Cut each circle into 16 wedges.
• Roll up the wedges, starting at the wide end.
• Place the wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet, point-side down.
• If using a glaze, whisk the egg and lightly brush the top of each cookie.
• If you wish, lightly sprinkle the cookies with sugar.
• Bake in the centre of the preheated oven until golden, about 13 to 15 minutes.
• Remove to a rack until the cookies have cooled.
• Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Remove from bowl, and divide into 3 pieces on a lightly floured surface. Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
• Make the filling: In a food processor, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until fine.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than 1/8 inch thick. Brush evenly with jelly. Sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture and one-third of the chocolate chips. Using the rolling pin, gently roll over filling to press ingredients into dough.
• Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges. Beginning at the base of each wedge, roll to enclose filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Brush tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.