Description
Rugelach are perfect little handheld cooked that are impossible to resist.. Filled with fruits and nuts and rolled up in a delicate cream cheese crust, my rugelach are perfectly sweet and delightfully tender. Trust me on this one, double the batch, your guests will thank you.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1/2– pound unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar (cane sugar or granulated sugar works in a pinch as well, packed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts (use this little apparatus it is the BEST, finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves (warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds to make a bit more spreadable)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water (for egg wash)
Instructions
- 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. *I have also used a food processor to make the dough and it worked great.*
- 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.
- Roll up the dough carefully like a jelly roll, making sure to tuck the corners under.
- With floss slice them (as pictured) about 1 inch thick.
- Lay them on a sheet pan 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.
Notes
- You can double this recipe and save the dough in the fridge for a week for a rainy day.
- Sometimes it takes longer for the cookies to bake. Just monitor them carefully.
- The nutritional information is to be used for information purposes only.
- Prep Time: 75 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Jewish Cookies, sweets
- Cuisine: American, Jewish