Rugelach With Currants And Walnuts Recipes

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Remove from bowl, and divide into 3 pieces on a lightly floured surface. Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
• Make the filling: In a food processor, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until fine.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than 1/8 inch thick. Brush evenly with jelly. Sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture and one-third of the chocolate chips. Using the rolling pin, gently roll over filling to press ingredients into dough.
• Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges. Beginning at the base of each wedge, roll to enclose filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Brush tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• To make the dough: Let the cream cheese and butter rest on the counter for 10 minutes - you want them to be slightly softened but still cool.
• Put the flour and salt in a food processor, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and pulse the machine 6 to 10 times. Then process, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, just until the dough forms large curds - don't work it so long that it forms a ball on the blade.
• Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day. (Wrapped airtight, the dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To make the filling: Heat the jam in a saucepan over low heat, or do this in a microwave, until it liquefies. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (Silicone baking mats are great for rugelach.)
• To shape the cookies: Pull one packet of dough from the refrigerator. If it is too firm to roll easily, either leave it on the counter for about 10 minutes or give it a few bashes with your rolling pin.
• Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 11- to 12-inch circle. Spoon (or brush) a thin gloss of jam over the dough, and sprinkle over half of the cinnamon sugar. Scatter over half of the nuts, half of the currants and half of the chopped chocolate. Cover the filling with a piece of wax paper and gently press the filling into the dough, then remove the paper and save it for the next batch.
• Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges, or triangles. (The easiest way to do this is to cut the dough into quarters, then to cut each quarter into 4 triangles.) Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each cookie becomes a little crescent. Arrange the roll-ups on one baking sheet, making sure the points are tucked under the cookies, and refrigerate. Repeat with the second packet of dough, and refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking. (The cookies can be covered and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; don't defrost before baking, just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.)
• Getting ready to bake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• To finish: Stir the egg and water together, and brush a bit of this glaze over each rugelach. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar.
• Bake the cookies 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until they are puffed and golden. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

WALNUT AND BROWN-SUGAR RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined. Add flour, and pulse just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw before baking).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, combine egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash.
• Working with one disk at a time, place dough on lightly floured parchment paper, and roll out into an 11-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick), dusting lightly with flour as needed. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut around dough to make a perfect circle; trim off and discard scraps. Brush circles with egg wash; dividing evenly, sprinkle with walnuts and brown sugar.
• Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 equal triangles. Starting from the wide end, roll up each triangle of dough; place on lined baking sheets, seam side down. Brush rolls with egg wash.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 to 32 minutes. Transfer rugelach to a wire rack to cool completely.

RUGELACH WITH CURRANTS AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Combine butter and cream cheese for pastry in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until completely blended and smooth. Beat in sugar and salt. Add flour gradually, mixing on low speed to incorporate until smooth. If the dough starts to run up on the beaters while adding flour, you can stir it by hand.
• Flour your hands lightly and form dough into a short, fat roll. Cut the roll into 3 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round ball, flatten slightly, and wrap individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Transfer to the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
• Prepare filling ingredients by placing melted butter in a small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon for filling in a second bowl. Mix walnuts and currants in a third bowl. Set aside.
• Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator. Place 1 ball of dough on a floured surface. Pound the ball firmly with a floured rolling pin to soften it slightly. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle; the edges can be slightly uneven.
• Brush the circle with 1/3 of the melted butter, then quickly sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture followed by 1/3 of the nut-currant mixture. Gently roll over the filling to press toppings into the dough. Cut dough into 12-pie-shaped wedges and roll each one in jelly-roll fashion, from the outside in toward the point. Place each roll, point-side down, on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients.
• Mix sugar and cinnamon for glaze together in a small bowl. Stir egg yolk and water together with a fork in a small cup. Brush egg wash over the top of each pastry then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top.
• Bake 2 sheets at a time in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes, reversing sheets halfway through to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack with a wide metal spatula.

CHOCOLATE RUGELACH WITH APRICOT JAM AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on high speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of the sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour by hand until well blended. (I use the mixer to fold in the flour but it can get messy so be careful.)
• Put the dough on your work surface (could just be parchment) and separate out into four equal pieces (eyeball it or use a scale) Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight, or even a few days. Or freeze.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate, walnuts, currants, cinnamon, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside at room temperature. (make ahead or combine right before you roll the rugelach)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove one dough ball from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a ball and flatten it out. Roll the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.
• Brush 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves over the dough. (If the preserves are bit thick, add a bit of water, heat briefly in the microwave and mix well to loosen them up.) Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough and press down gently. Cut the dough into 12 triangles using a pizza cutter. Starting with the first triangle, roll the dough tightly, but carefully, from the wide end toward the point. Roll tightly but gently at the same time.
• Place the rugelach, with the pointed side underneath, on a large ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll up the remaining triangles in the same manner and arrange them on the sheet, about ½ inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough, preserves and chocolate mixture; the rugelach will fit on 2 large cookie sheets.
• Lightly brush the tops of the rugelach with the remaining apricot preserves. As each pan of rugelach is completed, pop it in the refrigerator to chill back up. It will help them bake without flopping open.
• Bake, switching the sheets after 20 minutes, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until well browned. Immediately transfer the rugelach to a rack to cool. (The rugelach can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months; let return to room temperature before serving.)

CREAM CHEESE RUGELACH WITH WALNUTS AND APRICOT

Steps:

• Make the Dough
• Make the Filling

EASY STRAWBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
• Place the pastry crust on a floured wooden cutting board, then spread the jam evenly onto the crust. Sprinkle with the walnuts, currants, and cinnamon.
• Cut the pastry round into 16 equal slices. Roll each cookie starting from the wide side of the triangle. Place the cookies with the tips down on the lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the water.
• Using a pastry brush, add a little bit of egg wash to the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cool completely, then serve.