Rugelach Cream Cheese Cookies Recipes

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.

RUGELACH WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Beat the margarine and 1 package of cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Mix 1 package of cream cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, hot chocolate mix, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Divide dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion of dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread a thin layer of the chocolate filling on each circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge, starting with the wide end. Place the cookie point-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

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.

RUGELACH CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Refrigerate 30 min. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup of the remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, nuts and raisins.
• Heat oven to 375ºF. Roll 1/4 of the dough into 9-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Spread dough with 2 Tbsp. jam, then sprinkle with 1/4 of the sugar mixture; press sugar mixture firmly into dough. Cut into 16 wedges. Starting at wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Beat egg and water; brush onto roll-ups. Sprinkle with combined remaining granulated sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake 9 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and cream cheese together for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
• Add in the sugar and salt and mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides as necessary.
• Turn mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just combined, don't over-mix.
• Place a large piece of plastic wrap onto your counter. Place the dough onto the plastic wrap and press it into a rectangle shape, approximately 1- inch thick. Wrap the dough tightly in the
• Reynolds Kitchens Quick Cut Plastic Wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, working with one piece at a time, placing the dough you aren't using back in the refrigerator.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 x 8- inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of the preserves evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts evenly on top. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar all over the top. Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log. Place the log seam side down onto your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the process with the remaining dough placing the logs 2- inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Brush each log with milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the logs 3/4 through (not all the way) into 1- inch slices.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a cutting board to slice all the way through.

RUGELACH (FILLED CREAM CHEESE COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl or food processor, cream the butter and cream cheese together.
• Add the pinch of salt and sugar.
• Beat in the flour, a little at a time.
• Knead the dough lightly until all the flour is incorporated.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Prepare one of the fillings by combining the ingredients (except the 1/4 cup sugar for the topping) and set aside.
• Flour the surface you will be rolling out the pastry on very generously.
• This is a delicate dough and is apt to stick.
• Roll out one of the portions of dough into a 10 inch in diameter circle.
• With a knife or pastry wheel, cut the pastry into 10-12 pie-shaped wedges (depending on how large or small you want the rugelach to be- I go for smaller).
• If the dough is sticky, dust it with a little flour.
• Sprinkle or spread a little of the filling of your choice on each little wedge.
• Beginning at the wide edge, roll the dough up toward the point, as you would make a crescent roll or a croissant, turning the ends in slightly to achieve the crescent.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a tiny bit of the topping sugar (this step can also be done just before baking and ensure that the sugar is not knocked off in the freezer).
• Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
• At this point, I pop the cookie sheet directly into my freezer and freeze the rugelach individually.
• When frozen, I pack them into ziploc bags to use at whim over the holidays (and not just) so they can be freshly-baked for any occasion.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden, brushing with melted butter after 15 minutes if desired.