Rons Raspberry Rugelach Food

GRANDMA'S RASPBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat margarine, sugar, vanilla and salt on medium-low until combined. Slowly beat in whipping cream. Gradually beat in enough flour until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough into four portions, then flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into a 12-in. circle; spread each with 1/4 cup raspberry jam. Cut each circle into 16 wedges., Gently roll up wedges from the wide ends. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, point side down. Bake 25-30 minutes or until light golden. Remove to wire racks to cool., If desired, combine confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled rugelach.

RON'S DATE 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: Pulse the dates with the cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a food processor, adding a tablespoon of apple juice at a time. The filling needs to be spreadable but can have few chunks remaining. Mix in the walnuts.
• 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, then evenly spread a thin layer of the filling. 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.

RASPBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tsp. salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed to combine. Add butter and beat until it is flattened into nickel- and dime-size pieces and dry ingredients look a bit like sand, about 2 minutes. Cut cream cheese into 8-10 pieces and add all at once to mixer. Beat until dough starts to clump together in pieces (but not so long that it forms one large mass) with pieces of butter and some cream cheese still visible, about 1 minute longer.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half. Pat each into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill just until firm, 30-45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together orange zest, nuts, jam, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Set filling aside.
• Working one at a time, roll out dough between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper, dusting with more flour and turning over and rotating as needed, into 1/8"-thick ovals about 18x11". Spread half of filling over each oval, leaving a 1/2" border. Rotate dough so a long side is closest to you and roll up into a tight spiral, using parchment to help you lift it as you go. If dough is sticking, chill 5 minutes before proceeding. Chill rolled-up dough until firm, at least 60 minutes and up to 1 day (wrapped in plastic).
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F. Finely grind raspberries in spice mill or with mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl; mix in remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Brush tops of dough with egg. Sprinkle with half of berry sugar and cut into wedges 2" wide at the base and 1/2" wide at the point. Make each cut on a diagonal, changing direction each time so that short and wide ends alternate. Divide rugelach between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until deep golden brown, 28-34 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets, sprinkling with remaining berry sugar while still warm.
• Do Ahead
• Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

RASPBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• On medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour until dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. Divide dough into two pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll out one dough piece into 12x8" rectangle. Brush with 2 T. preserves, leaving 1/2" border on long sides. Evenly sprinkle half of sugar-raisin mixture over preserves. Starting with one long side, roll up dough jellyroll style. Repeat with remaining dough, preserves and sugar-raising mixture.
• Brush tops of dough logs with egg. Cut into 1"-wide slices. Place slices, glazed side up, 1-1/2" apart on baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned and baked through in center. Cool on pans on racks. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

PEANUTTY CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• 1. Place cream cheese, butter and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat on high until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour, on low, until combined. Form dough into a flat disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir peanuts with chocolate chips, sugar and cinnamon. Upon removing from refrigerator, if dough is too firm to roll, let stand for about 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.
• 3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll dough very thinly into a circle, about 15 inches (38 cm) in size and about ?-inch (3-mm) thick.
• 4. Scantly spread dough with jam to cover, then sprinkle with nut mixture. Cut dough into wedges like a pie - for larger cookies, cut into 16 wedges, and for smaller cookies, cut into 24 wedges.
• 5. Tightly roll each dough wedge from wide edge to point to enclose filling. Place on baking sheet. Whisk egg yolk with milk and brush tops of cookies.
• 6. Bake in centre of preheated oven until lightly browned, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

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.

RASPBERRY PECAN RUGELACH

Steps:

• Place flour, salt, and butter in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then add the cottage cheese. Continue processing until the dough comes together. Divide dough into four equal portions and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Roll out each portion of dough on a floured surface to an 1/8 inch thick circle. Spread 1 tablespoon of raspberry spreadable fruit, then sprinkle with the sugar mixture and 1/4 cup of pecans on each circle. Gently press the filling into the dough using a rolling pin. Cut each circle into 16 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, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.