cookie week: rugelach

Despite the mild temperatures outside — sunny; ranging from the high 60s and topping out at around 80º on any given day — Christmastime has arrived.  The tree is up and the stockings hung; garland flecked with white lights wraps around my open kitchen counter/bar.  It’s such a cozy, homey time of year.

Cookies are obviously part of the scene, too; the holidays just wouldn’t be the holidays without a plate of them lying around nearby.  Therefore, I hope Cookie Week has served at least few of you well as you decide what to make for your own families this year.  Today is the final day, and I hate to say I saved the best for last because I like to think I was very democratic about the Cookie Week selections, but really, these cookies are the best.  My favorite.  And that’s saying a lot considering gingersnaps — quite possibly the most holiday-esque cookies ever — started us off on Monday.

But here we are on Friday, and we have rugelach.  Ah, rugelach.  Never mind that they are a Jewish treat and I’m not Jewish in the least; luckily, ethnicity and religious affiliation are optional for enjoyment.  (Please excuse the  now  slightly ironic Christmas tree above.)  The only problem I’ve come across regarding rugelach, it seems, is pronouncing it.  Roo-geh-laccccchhhhh (kind of breathy/gurgly on that last bit).  That’s the beauty of the internet — I don’t have to say it, and if I try you can’t hear me.  When people come over and I serve these cookies, I just say, “Oh, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the jam-filled crescents/mini croissant cookies/best cookie you’ve ever tasted!”  Awful, I know.

The first time I made these, and I don’t know what spurred me to do it — oh wait, could it have been the cream cheese dough, the slick of jam, or the cinnamon, sugar and chopped nuts sprinkled on top, rolled together to create perfection?  maybe — I was instantly in love, and seriously declared it to the most delicious cookie I’d ever had the pleasure to eat.  And then I shared some with others to see what would happen, and I heard the same response, so I knew it wasn’t just me.  One of my favorite things about about rugelach is you can adjust the flavors to suit your preference, and isn’t that nice?  A cookie that really works for you — though I will soon be making about 100 of these for an upcoming party, so maybe it’s the other way around.  Either way, worth it. 

Rugelach

When you roll out the dough, don’t worry if the edges are jagged.  When the cookies are rolled into crescents you won’t be able to see the edges.  Also, I like to roll my dough as thin as I can get it without it tearing or getting stuck to the board.  Finally, though you can use a sharp knife to cut the dough into wedges, a pizza cutter or pasta roller works really well and fast.  After mixing, you will need to chill the dough before rolling, so make sure to plan ahead.

You can use different nuts in the filling if you like, or different flavors of jam.  Sprinkling finely chopped chocolate (mini chocolate chips work nicely) or dried fruit before rolling isn’t a bad thing to do, either.

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 sticks of butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the filling:

1 cup walnuts
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

½ cup apricot jam

For the topping:
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

For the dough: Place all of the dough ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until it comes together cohesively.  Turned onto a floured surface, pat into a ball, and divide into four equal pieces.  Pat each portion into a disk and cover well with plastic wrap.  Place in fridge for at least 2 hours.  (You can freeze dough, well wrapped, for longer storage.)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

For the filling: In the bowl of your food processor (just wipe it out after making the dough), pulse together the walnuts, sugars, cinnamon, and salt (you want the nuts finely chopped, but not ground.  Leave it ever-so-slightly chunky).  Set aside.  Place the jam in a microwavable bowl with a splash of water, and heat until jam is smooth and easily stirred.  Cool slightly.

Assemble the cookies: On a floured work surface, roll one disk of dough into a 7-9 inch circle, or as thin as you like.  Make sure to turn the dough and re-flour as needed so it doesn’t stick to your board or rolling pin.  Brush on a layer (2 tbsp.) of the jam.  Sprinkle with on fourth of the the walnut-cinnamon mixture.  Cut dough into eight equal wedges.  Starting from the wide edge of each wedge, roll dough towards point.  Curve into a crescent shape and place on prepared sheet 1″ apart.  Repeat with each wedge, and repeat the entire process with each disk of dough.

Brush each crescent with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 20-25 minutes until golden.  Cool on sheet on rack for 5-10 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

Makes 32.

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Adapted from a myriad of sources.