Rugelach

Cream the butter, cream cheese and salt together until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Add the flour and slowly incorporate. Try to beat the dough as little as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour. Scrape down the bowl, dust the mixture lightly with flour and divide into thirds. Shape each third into a disc. Put two tablespoons of flour into a zipper top plastic bag and shake to coat the interior. Put the flour dusted discs of dough into the bag and seal and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

Fillings
Walnut and Currant:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 c granulated or regular light brown sugar
1 TB cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup currants
1 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Mix both sugars and the spices together and set aside. As dough discs are rolled out, sprinkle each disc with about 1/4 cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, 1/3 cup of currants and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Press the filling into the dough with your fingertips and roll up.

Apricot:
6 oz. dried apricots
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup apricot preserves or jam

Finely dice apricots and put into a microwave proof bowl. Add water and sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and cook on high in a microwave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and let cool. Add the cinnamon and the preserves and stir until blended. Use one third of mixture on each dough round.

Assembly
2 ozs (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 whole egg beaten with 1 TB water

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with Sil-pat baking mats or parchment paper. Remove the discs of dough from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you roll them out to allow them to warm slightly. Dust your work area with flour and roll out each disc to a 12 inch round. Brush with melted butter and top with filling. Cut each disc into 12 pie shaped wedges. (A pizza cutter does this nicely) Brush the extra flour away from the edge of the disc and roll each piece up like a crescent. Transfer to a lined cookie sheet, brush with the beaten egg mixture, and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.


		Rugelach
Sue Kleber I have recently noticed that, when the subject arises, it seems that half the world had grandparents who lived in Brooklyn. Eyes gloss over when you mention Lindy’s cheesecake or apple strudel. Is it possible to get a decent hot pastrami on rye outside of New York? You can bring a little bit of Brooklyn back with these delicious pastries. Rugelach is a crescent-shaped cookie made with a very rich cream cheese dough and filled with walnuts and cinnamon, poppy seed filling or fruit jam. These disappear so fast that when I make them, I make the dough recipe twice and fill one batch with the nut mixture and one with fruit. When I was in high school, way back when, I spent two summers working in a German- Jewish bakery. This quasi-Irish girl was soon rolling rugelach and braiding challah with the best of them. I couldn’t make soda bread, but I could sure fold and stuff hamentashen and I think I made enough butter cookies to encircle the globe twice.			Pastry 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 tsp salt 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour Cream the butter, cream cheese and salt together until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Add the flour and slowly incorporate. Try to beat the dough as little as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour. Scrape down the bowl, dust the mixture lightly with flour and divide into thirds. Shape each third into a disc. Put two tablespoons of flour into a zipper top plastic bag and shake to coat the interior. Put the flour dusted discs of dough into the bag and seal and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. Fillings Walnut and Currant: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 c granulated or regular light brown sugar 1 TB cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 cup currants 1 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts Mix both sugars and the spices together and set aside. As dough discs are rolled out, sprinkle each disc with about 1/4 cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, 1/3 cup of currants and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Press the filling into the dough with your fingertips and roll up. Apricot: 6 oz. dried apricots 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup apricot preserves or jam Finely dice apricots and put into a microwave proof bowl. Add water and sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and cook on high in a microwave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and let cool. Add the cinnamon and the preserves and stir until blended. Use one third of mixture on each dough round. Assembly 2 ozs (1/2 stick) butter, melted 1 whole egg beaten with 1 TB water Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with Sil-pat baking mats or parchment paper. Remove the discs of dough from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you roll them out to allow them to warm slightly. Dust your work area with flour and roll out each disc to a 12 inch round. Brush with melted butter and top with filling. Cut each disc into 12 pie shaped wedges. (A pizza cutter does this nicely) Brush the extra flour away from the edge of the disc and roll each piece up like a crescent. Transfer to a lined cookie sheet, brush with the beaten egg mixture, and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
	Courtesy of: Real Estate & Living www.somocorealestate.com