RUGELACH

 

This was adapted from Flo Braker’s amazing Four Star Rugelach. I used her entire Cottage Cheese Dough recipe to make 24 full sized crescents. I didn’t spread cinnamon sugar on the dough, because I figured the jam would make this pastry sweet enough. So that is another variation besides the size difference. But ah, these were so good!

 

1 batch of cottage cheese dough

1/4 cup strained apricot jam

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1 egg yolk for glazing

 

• Make the dough and divide into two halves.

• Shape each into flat discs and wrap each with plastic wrap.

• Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

• Adjust rack to lower third of oven.

• Heat the oven to 350F.

• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Remove 1 dough disc from the refrigerator and set it aside for 10 minutes.

• Strain the jam through a fine sieve and set aside.

• Ground the walnuts in a food processor and set aside.

• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.

• Spread 1/8 cup of jam evenly over the dough all the way to the ends.

• Sprinkle with 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts.

• With a rolling pin, lightly press filling into the dough.

• With a sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 equal pie-shaped pieces.

• Starting with the wide end, roll up each piece.

• Place 1-1/2 inch apart, point down, on the baking sheet.

• Spread each rugelach with a thin layer of egg yolk.

• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.

• Toward the end of baking, if some of the jam oozes out and cookies begin to brown too much on the bottoms, move them to clean spots on the baking sheet. My jam was thick, so this wasn’t a problem.

• Continue to bake until done.

• Cool pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then, with a metal spatula, transfer cookies to the rack to cool.

• Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, using fresh parchment paper if needed.

• Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container.