Cream Cheese Pastry Nut Rolls Rugelach Recipes

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
• On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges?cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

RUGELACH WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Beat the margarine and 1 package of cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Mix 1 package of cream cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, hot chocolate mix, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Divide dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion of dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread a thin layer of the chocolate filling on each circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge, starting with the wide end. Place the cookie point-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Divide dough into 4 portions; place each portion on sheet of plastic wrap. Use floured hands to pat each portion into 1-inch-thick round. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Cover baking sheets with foil or parchment. Combine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon.
• Roll one portion of dough into 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface; spread with 1 Tbsp. preserves, then sprinkle with 1/4 of the nut mixture. Cut into 16 wedges; roll up, starting at short side of each. Place, point sides down, on prepared baking sheets; shape into crescents. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp. cinnamon-sugar. Repeat with remaining dough, preserves, nut mixture and cinnamon-sugar.
• Bake 25 min. or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely.

EASY RUGELACH

Steps:

• Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; beat to combine. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a ball; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 6 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Divide dough into quarters. Working with one piece at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. With long side facing you, spread with 3 tablespoons preserves, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup each walnuts and currants, 2 tablespoons raisins, and about 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Starting with a long side, tightly roll dough into a log; place, seam side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Brush each log with cream, dividing evenly; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Slice into 1-inch-thick slices. Rugelach can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days.

CREAM CHEESE PASTRY NUT ROLLS (RUGELACH)

Steps:

• Cream first four ingredients together until smooth. (You may add in the yolk from the egg white if you like. I didn't, but it wouldn't hurt.).
• Mix in the flour to make a soft dough.
• Divide the dough iinto four equal balls. Flatten and wrap in plastic or waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Melt the preserves, either on the stove in a saucepan or in the microwave, using either a glass or ceramic dish. Allow to cool slightly.
• In a small bowl, combine nuts with sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll out on a floured surface into a thin circle about 10 inches in diameter.
• Put 1/4 cup of melted preserves on top of the dough and spread evenly, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge uncovered. (Pick off any really large pieces of fruit. It will be easier to roll.).
• Place a "shot" glass upside down in the center of the circle and sprinkle 1/4 of the nut mixture over the rest of the preserve-covered dough. (This also makes it easier to roll. Remove the glass before cutting.).
• With a rotary cutter, or very sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 equal wedges. Roll up each wedge, startng with the outside edge and ending with the point. Turn the ends in to form a crescent, if desired.
• Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Beat egg white with 1 teaspoon of water and brush on tops. Dust with sugar, if desired.
• Bake until golden, 16-18 minutes (depending on your oven).
• Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
• Repeat with the other three circles of dough.
• As a variation, omit the apricot preserves and brush the dough with egg wash before sprinkling with nut mixture. Or leave out the nuts and use the preserves alone, with a bit of cinnamon sprinkled on the tops. Either way would be good.

PRUNE RUGELACH

Steps:

• Mix butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large bowl with hands until crumbly. Add flour, and mix until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap each disk in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Stir together breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in another small bowl; set aside.
• To make filling: Put prunes and brandy in a small airtight container. Let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain prunes. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day ahead.
• Roll 1 disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out a 12-inch circle. Brush beaten egg in a 1-inch border around circle. Put half the prune filling in center, and spread out to beaten egg border. Sprinkle 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture over filling. Cut circle into 16 wedges. Starting at outside edge of each wedge, roll up into a crescent shape. Space 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining disk and filling. Refrigerate rugelach until cold, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake rugelach until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks. Rugelach can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

NUTELLA CREAM CHEESE RUGELACH

Steps:

• Cream the sugar with the butter and cream cheese.
• Blend in the flour, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract.
• Stir to make a soft dough, adding a little flour as necessary if dough is too sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and pat into a flattened disk.
• Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 to 60 minutes or overnight.
• (Food processor method: Use the steel knife and place the flour, salt, cocoa and sugar in the work bowl. Drop in the butter and cream cheese in chunks. Process until ingredients blend and dough forms a mass or ball (this may take a minute or two). Remove from processor and sprinkle on a little flour to keep dough from being too sticky. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 to 60 minutes or overnight.).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 10-inch circle on a well-floured board.
• Be careful as dough is delicate.
• Spread chocolate filling on dough, then sprinkle on sugar, cinnamon and nuts.
• Roll up each edge into a miniature crescent. If using jam, spread on jam, then sprinkle on sugar, cinnamon and nuts.
• Brush with beaten egg white.
• Bake until done - about 25 minutes.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

POLISH RUGELACH

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and cheese in large bowl until light. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Mix in flour and salt. Gather dough into ball and gently knead until smooth. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Gather each into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly before rolling.)
• For filling:
• Mix 3/4 cup sugar, cranberries, walnuts, butter, cinnamon and allspice in small bowl to blend. Set aside.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place 1 dough disk on floured work surface (keep remaining 7 dough disks refrigerated). Roll out dough to 8-inch round. Spread 3 tablespoons filling over round, leaving 1/2-inch border. Cut round into 8 wedges. Starting at wide end of each wedge, roll up tightly and completely to tip. Place cookies, tip pointing down, on ungreased baking sheet and form into crescents. Repeat with 3 more dough disks and filling. Brush cookies with egg. Sprinkle additional sugar over. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. Repeat with remaining 4 disks, filling, egg and sugar. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

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.

DATE WALNUT RUGELACH

Steps:

• Make dough:
• In a food processor blend butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour and salt and pulse just until mixture forms a ball. Form dough into a log. Chill dough, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Make filling:
• Finely chop dates and walnuts and in a bowl with your hands toss together dates, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until combined well.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut dough crosswise into 8 equal pieces and work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining pieces covered and chilled. On a work surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar using a rolling pin dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out piece of dough into an 8-inch round. Cut round into 8 wedges, keeping round intact.
• Sprinkle 1/3 cup filling in a ring around outer portion of round, leaving a 1-inch border around edge, and press filling gently into dough. Working with 1 wedge at a time, fold outer edge of pastry over filling and roll up filling in pastry, jelly-roll fashion, folding sides under pastry to enclose filling. Transfer rugelach, as formed, pointed ends down, to ungreased baking sheets. Make more rugelach in same manner.
• Bake rugelach in batches in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes total. Transfer rugelach to racks to cool completely. Rugelach keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.