Rugalach Cookies

The holidays are upon us in full force, and I am absolutely positive that you don't need another sweet treat temptation to mess up your already sugar intensive diet. That said, I could not resist sharing at least one holiday cookie with you this year - one of my family's traditional recipes called Rugalach. This cookie is known under many different name spellings, but it is a traditional Jewish cookie that originated in central Europe. Every December my mom makes these and I gorge on about a dozen in no time flat. While the ingredients and appearance are very simple, they are one of my hands-down favorites.

That said, before this year I must confess that I had never made Rugalach on my own! But since we are going away for the holidays (leaving for the Caribbean on Wednesday!), I knew I had to take advantage of time and make them solo this year. And when we decided to host a holiday cookie party last week, it was a no-brainer that I would attempt them. My mom's recipe consisted of vague quantities such as "mix sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts to make the filling." When I made these I have to admit that I did just kind of pour the amounts randomly. But after taste testing that batch and for the purposes of sharing, I made some tweaks and came up with the amounts you see below. If you make these, let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 -pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

9 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped



Directions:



1. Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. 
2. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured cutting board and roll it into a ball. If the dough seems dry, just keep working with it and it will come together. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap the pieces in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight if possible or for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. 
To make the filling, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.


5. On a very well-floured cutting board, let one section of dough soften a bit and then when it is roll-able roll it into a circle. Sprinkle the circle with 1/2 cup of the filling mixture and 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.
6. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge into a crescent shape. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a bit of extra cinnamon/granulated sugar for garnish if desired.
7. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until cookies are very lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat the above process for the remaining pieces of dough. 

 When I originally made this I only used granulated sugar which is why the filling looks so light. However, I thought that brown sugar would add a nice flavor. 

 You really need to flour the cutting board before rolling. Otherwise, the dough triangles will stick impossibly and you'll have to start over.

 That looks like my kind of pizza! Ha.

 What cute little crescent rolls. And tasty to boot!