Rugelach

This is in honor of my friend, Jenny, who is at this very moment on an organic farm outside of San Antonio before going on a wondrous adventure to Argentina for the semester. She suggested that I make rugelach, a traditional Jewish dessert, and having not yet made a Jewish treat I am trying it today.

Rugelach is a Yiddish word meaning little twist. It is a traditional Ashkenazi (Eastern-European Jew) food eaten during Hanukkah, on Shabbat, or really any time of year. They are either made into rolled crescents or just round rolls. Some historians say that rugelach and croissants have a similar ancestry from Vienna. They say that these treats were made to commemorate the lifting of the Turkish siege in 1793.

The dough was a really interesting texture because of the cream cheese and rolled out splendidly. I didn't have enough walnuts so I used pecans, but I don't recommend doing this. It turned out delicious, but there was no real reason other than that I didn't have any walnuts and did not feel like running out to the store again.


Cranberry-Walnut and Cinnamon Rugelach

Dough:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
112g cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Filling:
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (the original recipe called for currants)
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg, for egg wash

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy and has increased in volume, 5-8 minutes. On slow speed, add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough is thoroughly combined. Set the mixer on medium speed and beat the dough for 15 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and press it down until it is (1in) thick. Refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Make the filling: in a bowl, using a fork, toss together the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, cranberries and ¼ cup of the sugar. Set aside.

3. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rough rectangle approximately 13x16in. Using a pizza cutter or paring knife, trim the dough into 2 rectangles measuring 6 ½ x16 in.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Lay out each rectangle with the 16-in side directly in front o f you on the counter. Brush off any excess flour. Brush the egg wash over the entire surface of the dough. Evenly coat both rectangles of dough with the walnut filling, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) wide strip of dough on the edge farther away from you. Starting with the dough edge closer to you, tightly roll the dough away from you, tucking the filling under the dough as you roll. When you reach the strip of dough without topping, apply a little pressure to seal, and roll the log so that the seam is on the bottom, against the counter. Gently slide the logs of dough onto a cookie sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour; refrigerate the remaining egg wash. The logs can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours or in the freezer for 1 week.

4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF ½ hour before baking. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper or foil. Glaze the chilled logs with the reserved egg and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar. Slice each log into 1in cross sections – you should get between 16 and 18 slices from each log. Place the cookies 1in apart on the prepared sheets and bake until puffed and dark golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the sheets.