Rugelach

My gang of food bloggers was planning a cookie (and all manner of holiday treats) swap. Bring in lots of cookies, donate to a good cause, take home lots of other cookies. Sounds good.

I’d already come up with an idea for Cranberry Pistachio Blondies (check out a previous post) and I wanted to contribute another something special. What to do, what to do? Rugelach! Yes! And with a special cream cheese dough that is just too sinful to eat and to tempt loved ones with more often than once a year. I know of several versions but for this batch, I turned to Ina Garten who can be trusted in these matters.  Though it’s not exactly a family recipe, it is to me because Ina is, in my mind, kind of like family.

The dough is a butter-cream cheese dough. The only way I can hold my head up is to use low-fat cream cheese. Neufchatel is a cream cheese that has a third less fat. That’s not a brand name; it’s a type of cream cheese. It’s excellent for baking and you won’t miss that extra 33 1/3% fat. Not one iota.

Rationalization #7,018: (spoken to self) Yes, that’s a lot of butter but it makes 4 dozen! And I’m only eating …. fmfum (inaudible mumble).

Pulse the fruit preserves a bit in the food processor to make them more spreadable. Some of the  rugelach will be apricot; others will be sour cherry.

I like my bench knife. Way more fun than a bench press.

Wrap each in plastic and let them hang out in the fridge a while. Pull one section out a time as you roll the dough and set up the rugelech.

Spreadable preserves on the dough. And here comes more good stuff.

Looks like we’re making dessert pizza!

But we’re not.

Almost-crescent moons… too much of a hurry to get them in the oven…

Hey! Wait for me!

RUGELACH

thanks to Ina Garten’s,  Barefoot Contessa Parties! (with a little tweaking)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Cream the cheese and butter, using a stand mixer, until light and fluffy.

Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt and vanilla.

With the mixer set on low speed, add flour and incorporate until just combined.

Plop the dough out onto a well-floured board  or surface and roll into a ball.

Cut ball into quarters, wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine 4 T. sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, the raisins and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle.  Do this one at a time, leaving the others in the fridge until using them.  You can use your hands to pat the dough out, if you prefer.

Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons of fruit preserves and sprinkle with 1/2-cup of filling.

Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges – by cutting the whole circle into quarters, then each quarter into thirds.

Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge and gently shape into a crescent moon.

Place rugelach, points tucked under, onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Brush each rugele with the egg wash.

Combine 2 T. sugar and a scant teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the tops.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Makes 4 dozen.

NOTE:  Rugelach freeze very well.  Freeze a batch that are unbaked.  Defrost completely before baking as described above.