This year, instead of making 10,000 cookies, yes, that many, I decided
to change it up a bit. I asked my kids, husband and Mother which cookie
they want most. My daughter chose
Rainbow Cookies, my other daughter chose
sugar cookies, my husband chose
cinnamon buns and
my Mom chose rugelach. Many years ago I made rugelach and it had cream
cheese in the dough. I could not find that recipe but found this one
instead. I liked it. I did add about a 1/4 cup more of flour though to
the dough. I also used regular saltine cracker crumbs (less salt) to
the filling instead of bread crumbs, but other than that, followed it,
pretty much to the letter.
I only had two of these. I gave all that remained to my Mom. I really must make it again. It's so good and perfect with tea or coffee.
RUGELACH
This recipe is largely based on
this recipe at Serious Eats, click here.
4 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup, spooned; 118g), plus more for dusting
4 ounces cold unsalted butter (8 tablespoons; 115g), cut into large cubes
4 ounces cold cream cheese (8 tablespoons; 115g), cut into large cubes
1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
filling:
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup raspberry jam, homemade or a good-quality store-bought brand
1 egg yolk whisked with 1 teaspoon (5ml) cool water
1 teaspoon sparkling sugar
For the Dough: In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, butter, cream cheese, orange zest, and salt. Pulse 4 to 5 times, then turn the processor on and process until the dough forms a shaggy ball, about 1 minute.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured sheet of plastic wrap and lightly flour your hands. If making crescent cookies, gently form a disk 5 inches in diameter. If making sliced cookies, form dough into a 3- by 4-inch rectangle. Dust surface with flour and wrap tightly. Lightly press with a rolling pin to smooth, then lightly tap the disk or rectangle's edges on the counter. The smoother the edges, the less prone they will be to cracking later on. Chill until the dough registers 40°F (4°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. The dough may be frozen for 3 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator to proceed.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
For the Filling: Pulse crackers until fine. Empty out into a bowl. Add the almonds to the processor and process until crumby but not like bread crumbs crumby. The stage just before. Add those to the bowl with the cracker crumbs. Then add raspberry jam.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 4- by 12-inch rectangle. Spread filling over surface of dough using an offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the two 12-inch edges. Starting at one 12-inch edge, tightly roll dough into a spiral. Place roll on baking sheet and chill for at least 30 minutes. Place seam side down, using a sharp knife cut roll into 12 cookies, in narrow triangular wedges. You can freeze these at this point.
Brush cookies' surface with egg wash using a small pastry brush. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake cookies until browned and flaky, about 22 to 25 minutes. Some filling may squish out; that’s okay. The bottoms of the rugelach should be caramelized, not blackened. Transfer the cookies (still on the parchment) to a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight container, layered between sheets of wax paper, for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month.