Now that your menorah is almost fully lit, your gilt is piling up, and you've told your Bubbeh that, no, you're not going to get married to that nice Jewish boy down the hall, it's time to think of the food. Let's face it, not many Jewish holidays are about eating. A lot of them just make you feel guilty (Yom Kipper, I'm looking straight at you). In December, though, you finally get eat until your hearts content without thinking about remorse or atonement. Until you start counting calories. And start feeling remorse over all that holiday weight your thighs are packing on. (It's a never ending cycle, isn't it?)
Rugelach is one of my favourite desserts of this season. How could you go wrong when cream cheese is baked right into the dough. Yeah, I told you you'd feel guilty. But, don't worry. These things are tiny little bites of happiness and are so rich, that you'll only be able to eat one after dinner. Or two. Or five. Like Mr. C did last night.
Chocolate-Walnut Rugelach
Makes 32 cookies
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 medium egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1) With an electric mixture, cream the butter an cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the sugar and whip up until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla. With a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the flour to the wet ingredients.
2) When everything is mixed, scoop out into two equal parts onto two different pieces of plastic wrap. Shape the two gobs of dough into tight disks, cover tight, and place in the fridge for at least one hour. While you're waiting, make the filling.
Chocolate-Walnut Filling
2 ounces walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of salt
about 6 ounces apricot jelly, melted
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1) Place the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in your food processor. Pulse until fine. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times, just to chop down your chips a bit. Set aside.
2) When your dough is nice and cool, take one of your dough disks and roll it out to about 12 inches across and 1/8 of an inch thick. Shmear your apricot jelly over the surface and sprinkle half of the filling over top of it. Softly, with your rolling pin, roll over your filling so it sits tightly in your dough. Cut it into sixteen slices, just like a pizza. Take one slice out and start rolling it, starting with the wide side and rolling into a point. Pinch to seal.
If you need step by step pictures, I'd recommend this guide.
3) Place the rugelach on a silicone non-stick baking mat and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Enjoy with some kosher egg nog.
Chocolate-Walnut Rugelach
Makes 32 cookies
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 medium egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1) With an electric mixture, cream the butter an cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the sugar and whip up until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla. With a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the flour to the wet ingredients.
2) When everything is mixed, scoop out into two equal parts onto two different pieces of plastic wrap. Shape the two gobs of dough into tight disks, cover tight, and place in the fridge for at least one hour. While you're waiting, make the filling.
Chocolate-Walnut Filling
2 ounces walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of salt
about 6 ounces apricot jelly, melted
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1) Place the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in your food processor. Pulse until fine. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times, just to chop down your chips a bit. Set aside.
2) When your dough is nice and cool, take one of your dough disks and roll it out to about 12 inches across and 1/8 of an inch thick. Shmear your apricot jelly over the surface and sprinkle half of the filling over top of it. Softly, with your rolling pin, roll over your filling so it sits tightly in your dough. Cut it into sixteen slices, just like a pizza. Take one slice out and start rolling it, starting with the wide side and rolling into a point. Pinch to seal.
If you need step by step pictures, I'd recommend this guide.
3) Place the rugelach on a silicone non-stick baking mat and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Enjoy with some kosher egg nog.
2 comments:
Smile. Your posts always make me laugh. I love regelach, and I need to make a batch over the weekend. Cream cheese and cookie dough is always a good combination in my book. Your cookies look delicious, and I'm sure they tasted even better. Thank you so much for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a wonder-filled Friday!
cream cheese *in the dough*?! oh wow. i need these.
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