Best Ever Rugelach Food

BEST EVER RUGELACH

Steps:

• Combine cottage cheese and 1 cup of butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, then gradually stir in the flour. Dough will be sticky. Divide dough into thirds and wrap with waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and raisins. Set aside. Roll one ball of dough at a time to a 9 inch circle on a floured surface, while keeping the remaining dough chilled. Spread 1 tablespoon of the optional orange marmalade over the circle. Gently press 1/3 of the nut mixture into the dough. Cut the circle into 16 wedges. Roll each wedge tightly, starting with the wide end. Place the cookie point-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Beat the egg white with the water in a small bowl, then brush the mixture onto each cookie.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

BEST-EVER RUGELACH

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on low speed until a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll in a bit of additional flour, as necessary, to make a soft but manageable dough. Divide into 4 portions, press each into a flattened disk and wrap in wax paper. Place them in a large resealable plastic food storage bag; seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stack 2 large baking sheets together and line the top sheet with parchment paper. You will need to repeat this procedure for each batch.
• For the filling: Roll out each portion of dough into a 12-inch circle on a well-floured work surface. Smear on the jam, covering the surface of the dough, and then evenly sprinkle on the brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, if using, and raisins. (TIP: I CUT THE PIECES FIRST AND THEN SPREAD THE FILLING INGREDIENTS ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH I FOUND REDUCES MESSINESS. EITHER METHOD WORKS, THOUGH.) Use a pastry or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge snugly and place on the lined baking sheet.
• For assembly: Whisk together the egg and sugar in a small bowl; brush the rugelach with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastries are nicely browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

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.

RON'S RASPBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• For the classic cream cheese dough: Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Switch to low speed and gradually add in the flour. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and beater to make sure it is well mixed. The dough will be sticky. Divide the dough into three portions, wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten to a disk. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
• For the filling: Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Chop the almonds to small bits and toss with the raisins and sugar-cinnamon mixture.
• To assemble the rugelach: Dust the work surface with the flour and roll each dough portion to a 10-inch circle. Lightly brush each circle with the melted butter. Spread a third of the preserves or jam on each circle, leaving a clearance of 1/4-inch on the perimeter so the filling won't ooze out while baking. Sprinkle a third of the almond-raisin-sugar mixture on top of the preserves and press in slightly to help adhere.
• Using a pizza wheel, divide each circle into four quarters. Divide each quarter into three thin triangles, for a total of 12 wedges. Roll each triangle from the curved side to the point and place on a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Refrigerate the sheets for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Note: The rugelach can be frozen on the trays and then stored in a zip-top bag in the freezer for baking fresh later.
• Carefully brush each rugelach with the egg wash, trying to avoid drips. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until deep golden. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

PERFECT RUGELACH

Steps:

• Making the Dough:.
• In a food processor, take 2 cups of your flour, add salt, lemon zest, and sugar. Add in cream cheese cut up in squares. Pulse until it comes together to form a ball.
• Remove from food processor, and roll out into 8 x 12-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic and chill for two hours.
• In the meantime, in a clean food processor bowl, take your butter that has been cut up into small squares and your remaining 1/4 of flour. Pulse until the flour and the butter have come together and the pieces of butter are about pea-sized.
• Roll in between two sheets of plastic wrap until it is 4x6 inch rectangle. Chill also.
• After two hours, use a probe thermometer to ensure that both the dough and the butter are at the same temperature. Roughly 60 F degrees.
• Remove from fridge, and place your dough on a floured, chilled slap of marble or chilled cookie sheet. Add your block of butter in the middle of the dough, so that you can wrap the dough around it, like you are making an envelope.
• Now, turn your envelope so that the shorter side is perpendicular to your body. Roll out gently with your rolling pin until it is 10 x 14 inches long. At this point you are going to fold it into another envelope. Again you will turn that envelope so that it is perpendicular to your chest, and you will wrap it in plastic and chill it for 10 minutes.
• Ten minutes later, again you will place the envelope perpendicular to your chest, roll it out again to 10 x14 inches long, and refold it again back into an envelope. Turn it once more so that it is perpendicular to your chest. Wrap it in plastic and chill once more for 10 minutes.
• Remove from fridge, place envelope perpendicular to your chest again. Roll out once again to 10 x 14 inches long. You are going to fold it one last time into an envelope, and this time you'll have to chill it for at least 6 hours.
• Filling I:.
• Combine your walnuts, spices, chocolate chips and orange zest in a small bowl set aside. Keep your apricot jam separate.
• Assembly:.
• You're going to take your envelope out of the fridge. You are going to place it perpendicular to your chest and you are going to cut in 3 equal parts.
• Take each of these parts, again place the shortest end perpendicular to your chest and roll them out until they are approximately 9 by 13 inch rectangles. Cut each in half length wise, and slice each length diagonally to make little triangles.
• If using filling I, you are going to brush apricot jam on these triangles and then add your nut/spice mixture on top. Then you roll the triangle into a crescent starting from the base. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and chill for 10 to 15 minutes in fridge.
• Brush with eggwash, and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet half way through the baking process.
• If you are using chocolate chips, simply put them on the squares and roll them up into crescents. Again, you will chill them, brush them with eggwash and bake them the same way.

LORA BRODY'S RUGELACH

Steps:

• Food Processor Method:
• Into a food processor with the metal blade, place the cream cheese. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour and the optional salt and pulse in just until the dough starts to clump together.
• Electric Mixer Method:
• Soften the cream cheese and butter. In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until blended. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour and the optional salt until incorporated.
• For Both Methods:
• Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it together to form a ball. Divide the dough into 4 portions and cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Filling:
• In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts and stir with a spatula or fork until well mixed.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes or until it is malleable enough to roll.
• Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Using a floured rolling pin, on a lightly floured board, roll out each dough portion, one at a time, into a 9-inch circle to a 1/8-inch thickness, rotating the dough often to be sure that it isn't sticking. A great method that keeps additional flour to a minimum is to roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, well floured on the bottom. Flip it over, remove the bottom sheet of plastic wrap, and dust off any excess flour. Using the back of a tablespoon, spread the dough evenly with 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the raisin-walnut filling over the preserves. Press the filling firmly and evenly over the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 12 triangles or pieces of "pie."
• Use a thin knife, if necessary, to loosen the triangles from the board. Starting at the wide end, roll up the triangle and bend the ends around to form a slight crescent shape. Place the rugelach, point underneath, about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
• Clean the work surface of excess filling before rolling each batch.
• For the topping, brush the rugelach with milk. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle the rugelach with it.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.
• Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Store:
• In an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
• Keeps:
• 5 days at room temperature, 3 months frozen.
• Smart Cookie:
• • If the raisins are not soft, soak them first in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 1 hour and drain them thoroughly.
• • The apricot is stirred instead of strained because straining thins it too much and it tends to ooze out the sides of the rugelach.
• • Unbaked rugelach dough freezes brilliantly. This is a great dough to have on hand in the freezer. Simply add on about 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. The rugelach are especially delicious still warm from the oven and are at their best when freshly baked.
• • The dough is chilled before baking to maintain the most even shape.
• • Lining the cookie sheets with parchment or foil keeps the sticky filling from baking onto the pan and makes cleanup easier.
• • Allow the cookie sheet(s) to cool completely before using for the next batch.
• • Distribute the cookies evenly around the cookie sheet. Avoid crowding the cookies into one section of the cookie sheet, leaving a large area bare.