Apricot Raisin Rugelach Recipes

APRICOT RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 8 oz softened cream cheese for a few minutes. The mixture should become light and airy.
• Then add ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat again for a few minutes.
• Add 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt and mix again until everything combines. Don't overmix this step.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, wrap each in plastic wrap, flatten into a dish, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• When ready to bake, take the dough out of refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before baking and let it sit on the counter.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Roll out each piece of dough in a rectangular shape. Add about ¼ cup apricot jam and spread it in a thin layer. Then sprinkle over about 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts.
• Roll the dough in a log, then cut the log into about 1-1 ½-inch pieces.
• Place the cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Brush them over with egg wash and sprinkle some course sugar on top.
• Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden/brown.

RUGELACH II

Steps:

• To Make Filling: Combine pecans, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, soften butter and cream cheese. Add flour and sugar, blend well. Divide dough into (4) pieces.
• Roll each into a ball and dust each with flour, shake off excess. With a rolling pin, roll each piece between sheets of waxed paper into a 10 inch circle. Stack circles and refrigerate at least one hour.
• Preheat over to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• Spread each circle of dough with light layer of apricot jam/preserves. Divide nut filling among circles, spread evenly. Cut each circle into 12 pie shaped wedges. Roll wedges from wide edge to point. Place on baking sheets point side down.
• Bake 12 - 15 minutes.

JOAN NATHAN'S RUGELACH (CINNAMON, CHOCOLATE, OR APRICOT)

Steps:

• To make the dough, place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment (or a Silpat baking mat).
• Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then sprinkle the combined cinnamon and sugar.
• Using a dull knife, cut each circle into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool.
• Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

RUGELACH WITH RAISINS, ALMONDS AND APRICOT

Steps:

• We're starting with the dough here. Grab your two sticks of butter and cream cheese, and pile it into a large bowl. Beat these until they are light. You can use an electric mixer or get in a good workout and use a wooden spoon.
• Next you'll want to add your sugar and your salt, and beat it until it becomes fluffy. Again, an electric mixer is preferred, but you can always opt for the workout and use a wooden spoon!
• This part you will need a wooden spoon no matter what. Stir your flour into your mixture, then gather the dough into a ball and knead it until it's smooth and all the flour is fully mixed.
• Divide your dough ball in half, then divide each half into halves. Do you see where this is going? Now, take your four quarters and half each of them. You should now have 8 little dough balls.
• Flatten each of your 8 dough balls into thick disks, and wrap them with plastic wrap, or "Cling film" as my friend likes to say. Let these guys chill out in your fridge for at least an hour. The longer, the better! (Note: You could stop here if you wanted to, and continue another day or such.).
• When you're ready to continue, or after at least 1 hour, preheat your oven to 350°F Lightly grease (Or parchment) two baking sheets (Three is even better!). Use parchment! It's better. These cookies will ooze as they cook, and with parchment there's much less cleanup.
• Now let's move on to the filling. If you have a food processor, you can add all the filling ingredients except for the apricot jelly (Your raisins, sugar, butter, cinnamon, almonds, and salt) and pulse a few times. If you're like me you don't have a food processor, so finely dice your Raisins and Almonds (There's a lullaby called that, did you know that?). Then add your sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
• Shaping the cookies: Work with only one dough disk at a time, and keep the others refrigerated while you do this. Here's where your team of helpers, if you have any, will come in handy. On a piece of parchment or a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into an 8 inch circle. Take the top off of your apricot jam and place it (Or a the lid to a salad dressing bottle, or something similar) smack in the middle of your dough circle.
• Spread a thin layer of the apricot jam into the dough circle, making sure to leave about a 1/2 inch uncovered border on the outside. Then, sprinkle 1/4 cup of your filling over the dough, again staying within your 1/2 inch boundaries (And that lid in the center!).
• Carefully remove the lid, and use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel to cut your circle into 8 equal wedges.
• Starting at the wide (Outside) Edge of each wedge, roll it toward its narrow edge, just like you would on a crescent roll. Place these rolled wedges, tips down (Filling up!) onto one prepared baking sheet, then carefully bend the tips into a crescent shape. Remember the crescent roll.
• Now for the topping. Crack your egg into a small bowl and add about 1 tsp of water. Brush this egg wash onto your rugelach, and top them with that granulated or coarse sugar. Bake them for 20 minutes. Set your timer. Once they're done, carefully remove them from the oven and remove from the baking sheet(s), setting them on a wire rack to cool.
• While one batch is cooking, repeat the same steps with the remaining dough disks. If you have a team of helpers, you can get an assembly line going so you never have to stop! It makes it all the easier, also.
• Enjoy!