Butterhorns Aka Rugelach Rugulach Snails Schnecken Recipes

BUTTERHORNS AKA RUGELACH / RUGULACH / SNAILS / SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until soft.
• Sift in the flour and mix to make a soft dough.
• Divide dough into 4 equal balls, flatten each one and wrap in wax paper.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll thinly on a lightly floured surface into a circle, about 9" in diameter.
• Brush the surface with the egg white glaze and sprinkle the dough with 1/4 of the filling.
• Slice the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into quarters and then each quarter into 4 equal sections, to form 16 triangles.
• Starting from the base of each triangle, roll up to form spirals.
• You can curve them into crescents if you like.
• Continue with the other 3 disks of dough.
• Place on baking sheets and brush with egg white glaze.
• Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
• Bake until just golden, about 10 minutes.
• For 32 extra large butterhorns, divide the dough in half instead of fourths and roll each disk into a 12 inch circle and use half the filling.
• Continue as above but bake for 15-20 minutes.

BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut butter into flour, until the butter is the size of small peas.
• In a medium bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm milk, then add beaten egg yolks and almond extract. Pour yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir lightly, handling as gently as pie crust, until the shaggy mass comes together in a sticky ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight.
• Make the filling: The day you plan to bake the butterhorns, combine the sugar, almonds, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, flour and almond extract in a separate medium bowl. It should resemble a wet sand with bits of nuts. If the filling is dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Set aside.
• Assemble the butterhorns: Lightly grease 3 baking sheets. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and divide dough into three equal rounds (about 13 ounces/365 grams each). Keep the other rounds refrigerated while you work with one piece. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut each circle into 12 wedges, like you're cutting a pizza. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling just inside the curved edge of the wedge, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Fold the closest two corners over the filling to avoid leakage, then roll tightly all the way up to the point. (It should look like a little croissant.) Arrange pieces on a greased pan 2 inches apart, 12 butterhorns per pan, making sure that the point is tucked under to prevent it from unrolling while rising. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Let horns rise, uncovered, in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 365 degrees and make the frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar, melted butter, heavy cream and almond extract in a large bowl, and mix until creamy and spreadable. Cover and set aside.
• Bake butterhorns for 12 to 15 minutes, until a light brown. Frost while still warm, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

SWISS BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in egg yolk and sour cream; shape into a ball. Chill several hours or overnight. , Divide dough into thirds. On a well-floured surface, roll each portion into a 12-in. circle. Combine filling ingredients. Sprinkle a third of the filling over each circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge, starting at the wide end. Place on greased baking sheets with points down. , Bake at 350° until lightly browned, 15-18 minutes. Make glaze if desired. Combine all ingredients and spread on warm rolls.

RUGELACH

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.

BEST-EVER RUGELACH

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on low speed until a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll in a bit of additional flour, as necessary, to make a soft but manageable dough. Divide into 4 portions, press each into a flattened disk and wrap in wax paper. Place them in a large resealable plastic food storage bag; seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stack 2 large baking sheets together and line the top sheet with parchment paper. You will need to repeat this procedure for each batch.
• For the filling: Roll out each portion of dough into a 12-inch circle on a well-floured work surface. Smear on the jam, covering the surface of the dough, and then evenly sprinkle on the brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, if using, and raisins. (TIP: I CUT THE PIECES FIRST AND THEN SPREAD THE FILLING INGREDIENTS ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH I FOUND REDUCES MESSINESS. EITHER METHOD WORKS, THOUGH.) Use a pastry or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge snugly and place on the lined baking sheet.
• For assembly: Whisk together the egg and sugar in a small bowl; brush the rugelach with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastries are nicely browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

RUGELACH

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.

GERMAN SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Soften yeast in the warm water.
• Pour the scalded milk over sugar and salt in a large bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool to lukewarm.
• Blend in 1 cup of the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in yeast. Add ABOUT HALF the remaining flour and beat until very smooth. Beat in the eggs. Vigorously beat in the 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time. Beat in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let REST 10 minutes.
• Knead until smooth and elastic ABOUT 10 MINUTES. Form into a ball and put into a greased deep bowl; turn dough to bring greased surface to top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; pull edges of dough in to center and turn over completely in bowl. Cover; let rise again until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Lightly grease twenty- four 2 1/2 inch muffin pan wells. Put about 1 teaspoon of the melted butter into each well; reserve remaining butter.
• Mix the chopped nuts, brown sugar, currants, and cinnamon. Spoon 2 teaspoons into each well and gently press 3 or 4 pecan halves onto mixture.
• Again punch dough down; form into 2 balls. Roll ball into a rectangle 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick, 6 to 8 inches wide, and 12 inches long. Brush top surface of dough with half the remaining melted butter and sprinkle evenly with half the remaining brown sugar mixture. Beginning with longer side, roll dough tightly into a long roll. Cut roll into 12 slices. Place a slice, cut side down, in each well. Repeat with second ball. Cover; let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert muffing pans on wire racks, set on waxed paper or aluminum foil, leaving pans over Schnecken 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks, glazed side up. To store, wrap tightly in foil Reheat just before serving. 2 dozen Schnecken.
• CAI The Canadian Family Cookbook.