Do you already have a list of cookies and foods to make for Christmas? If you have no clue about the dessert, check out my Christmas compilaton or make this heavenly rugelach. This is a true holiday favourite, and you can play around with the filling to match the taste of various family members: you can use nuts, poppy seed, chocolate or nutela, raisins and jam, or dried fruits. The cream cheese in the pastry make it fresh and soft for several days, so this is probably the ultimate holiday cookie.
I hope you have the chance to cook the best foods this holiday season, share that food with your loved ones and tell them you are happy to be around them.
Happy Christmas!
Rugelach (makes 32)
For the pastry:
- 200 gram cream cheese
- 200 gram butter
- 80 gram powdered sugar
- 300 gram flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the walnut filling (to be used with 3/4 of the pastry)
- 100 gram caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 80 gram raisins, chopped
- 50 gram walnut, chopped
- 12 tablespoons jam of your choice
1 egg for glazing
To make the pastry, mix cream cheese and butter (both at room temperature) with the sugar using a hand mixer. Add the flour and the salt, mix and form a ball with your hands. Rest in the fridge for two hours.
Preheat the oven for 180 degrees. Mix all ingredients of the filling in a bowl except for the jam and set aside. Cut the pastry to four pieces, and work with one at a time (put the rest back to the fridge). On a well-floured surface, roll the pastry to a 0.5 cm thick disc and cover that with 2-3 tablespoons of jam (leaving a 1 cm edge around) and sprinkle 1/4th of the filling over. Press a bit with your hands and use a pizza slicer to cut into 8 slices. Roll each up and put on a bakind tray that is covered with parchment paper. Mix the egg and brush over the rugelachs before putting them into the oven for 18 minutes.
