Rugelach are little rolled cookies with a honey-walnut filling enrobed in a rich butter and cream cheese pastry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cold cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- confectioners' sugar
- Filling:
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to mix.
- Add the cubes of cream cheese and butter. Pulse 10 to 12 times until coarse crumbs form. In a small bowl whisk together the vanilla and yolk. Add to the flour mixture and run the processor continuously until the dough starts to clump together and form large curdlike pieces.
- Lightly dust the counter or a cutting board with flour and gather the pieces into a ball. Divide into four portions and flatten each into 1-inch thick disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours orup to 3 days (can be frozen for up to 3 months - thaw in the refrigerator before using).
- Make the filling: In a food processor pulse the walnuts 25 - 30 times until you have tiny crumbs. Combine the ground nuts in a bowl with the butter, honey, sugar and vanilla.
- Line a large baking sheet (or 2) with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough: Sprinkle your work surface generously with powdered sugar. Sprinkle the surface of the dough and the rolling pin with more powdered sugar. Roll the dough from the center out into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Don't worry if a few cracks form near the edges. Use more powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking.
- Divide the filling into 4 equal portions. Spread 1/4 of the filling in a thin layer evenly over the surface of the dough from edge to edge. Press the filling gently into the dough.
- Use a pastry cutter or pizza slicer to cut the the dough into 16 wedges like a pizza. Beginning at the wide end roll up each wedge and place on the baking sheet with the small tip tucked underneath.
- Refrigerate cookies on the baking sheet, 20 - 30 minutes. Meanwhile work on the remaining batches.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cookies one tray at a time until golden-brown about 18 - 22 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet, 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
- Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
