Vegan Rugelach Food

VEGAN RUGELACH

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer (or using a bowl and a hand held mixer), combine the margarine, sugar, and salt and mix on low-medium speed until combined. Then, add in the whip topping to the margarine mixture and mix on medium-low speed again. Slowly add one cup of flour in on low speed until combined. Repeat this step for the rest of the three and a half cups of flour.
• *Only add the last cup of flour if your dough is still sticky.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knead.
• Roll out the dough and cut into a rectangle.
• Cut large triangles down your dough.
• Variation #1: To make cinnamon ruglach, spread a thin layer of apricot jam over the dough triangles. Then spoon on the cinnamon-sugar. Roll up the dough.
• Variation #2: To make the raspberry jam rugalach, spread jam over the dough and then roll up.
• Bake both variations for 25-30 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 1/2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

CHEF JOEY'S VEGAN RUGELACH

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry by placing the flour in the bowl of a food processor. Give it a pulse to fluff it up. Add the cut up margarine and pulse again.
• Add the cold vegan cream cheese. I use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese in this.
• Pulse the flour, margarine and cheese mixture until a ball forms and then remove. Form into a disc. Cut in half and wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one to 24 hours.
• Once the pastry is chilled, preheat your oven to 350'F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Put your jam into a small bowl and stir it to get any lumps out of it.
• Once the oven is heated up, roast your nuts. I did mine at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
• Remove the nuts and set aside until cool. Add them along with your lemon zest and sugar into the bowl of a small food chopper and process until the nuts are about 1/3 their original size.
• Set this aside.
• Remove one of your pastry discs from the fridge. Lightly flour your counter top and roll the pastry out to a large circle. Make the dough very thin as it will crisp up much better if you do.
• Spread the jam on the pastry, then sprinkle 1/2 the nut mixture. Cut the rolled out pastry in 4 equal sections, then cut each of the 4 sections into 3 equal sections.
• Roll from the outside in and place with seam side down on your covered cookie sheet.
• Brush with the soy creamer and sprinkle with some sugar.
• Bake for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on these, they can burn easily.
• Cool on a metal cookie rack.
• Repeat with the second batch of cookies.
• You can also sprinkle other sugars on these, icing, or fruit might be nice.
• Bon Appetit.