Servings: 4 doz
Preheat: 400°
Source: From Nancy Baggett, the International Cookie Cookbook
Makes 40 1½- to 1 ¾-inch cookies.
Middle Eastern in origin, this cookie is now a part of the food culture of many Israelis. It was brought to the young nation by Ashkenazic Jews when they left the countries of Eastern Europe.
The recipe features a tender cream cheese pastry dough and a delicious, nottoo-sweet walnut and raisin filling. The cookies are formed by rolling up tiny wedges spread with the filling mixture. There are a number of Eastern European rolls and cookies, including poppy seed-filled cookies (see page 230), that are shaped this way.
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose or unbleached white flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened
¼ teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest
FILLING
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup clover honey, or other mild honey
1 cup dark seedless raisins, chopped moderately fine
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ cups finely chopped walnuts
Directions
Thoroughly stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Place the butter, cream cheese, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and well blended. Gradually beat in dry ingredients until incorporated, but do not overmix.
Divide the dough in half. Place each half between large sheets of waxed paper, and roll each out with a rolling pin into an evenly thick circle about 11 inches in diameter, checking the underside and smoothing out any creases in the waxed paper. The circles needn’t be perfectly round, but keep the edges fairly even. Stack the dough sheets on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until cold and slightly firm but not hard.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease several baking sheets and set aside.
To prepare the filling, combine sugar, cinnamon, honey, raisins, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until well mixed; set aside.
Working with one chilled dough portion at a time and leaving the other refrigerated, carefully peel off the top sheet of waxed paper, and replace it loosely. Turn dough over and gently peel off and set aside bottom sheet of waxed paper. Using a long-bladed spatula or blunt knife, spread half the filling evenly over the round to within ¼ inch of the edge. Sprinkle half the chopped walnuts evenly over the filling. Cover the dough round with the reserved waxed paper and gently pat down to lightly imbed nuts in the filling. Return dough to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the second dough round from the refrigerator and top with filling and nuts as before. Return second round to the refrigerator.
Discard top sheet of waxed paper from the first dough round. Using a large sharp knife, cut the round into quarters, then cut each quarter into 5 equal wedges. Working from the outer edge of a wedge toward its center, tightly roll up each wedge to form a cookie. (If the dough cracks or seems stiff, it is too cold; let the round stand a minute or two to soften before trying to roll up wedges again. If the dough becomes too soft to roll, place the round on a baking sheet and return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.) Continue rolling until all 20 cookies are formed, and space on baking sheets about 1¼ inches apart with the points of the
wedges tucked underneath to prevent unrolling. Repeat cutting and rolling process with the second dough round until all cookies are formed.
Place in the center of the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until cookies are just slightly colored on top and lightly browned at the edges. Remove baking sheets from the oven and immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
Rugelach are best when very fresh but, may be stored in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days. Freeze for longer storage.