Rugelach

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 250 g all-purpose flour, 30 g granulated sugar and a pinch salt in a food processor, add 225 g cold diced unsalted butter and 225 g cold cream cheese and pulse in short bursts. Keeping the butter and cheese cold creates thin, tender layers in the oven. The dough is ready when it just starts to clump into large pieces that stick together when squeezed.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Divide the dough into four portions, shape each into a flat disk, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. This rich dough is very soft and has to be thoroughly cold before you can roll it. It's ready when it is firm and no longer sticks to the plastic as you peel it off.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Finely chop 90 g walnuts and 60 g raisins and mix them with 70 g brown sugar and 4 g ground cinnamon; stir 100 g fruit jam in a separate bowl to loosen it. A finely chopped filling rolls up neatly without tearing the dough. The filling is ready when the walnuts are about the size of rice grains and the cinnamon sugar mixture is loose and even.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Set a rack in the middle of the oven, preheat it to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Rugelach need a steady hot oven so the dough puffs into layers as soon as it goes in. The oven is ready once it has been heating for about fifteen minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll one disk of dough into a circle about 23 cm across, spread a thin layer of jam over it, sprinkle a quarter of the cinnamon sugar and nut mixture evenly on top and press it lightly so it sticks. The jam acts like glue that keeps the nuts from falling out as you roll. The round is ready when the filling covers it evenly, leaving about 1 cm bare around the edge.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Cut the round into twelve wedges like a pizza, then roll up each wedge from the wide end toward the point and set it point side down. Placing the point underneath keeps the rolls from unwinding in the oven. Each one is ready when it is tightly rolled into a small crescent with no filling squeezing out the sides.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Arrange the rolls on the baking sheets 3 cm apart and chill the sheets in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Chilling again firms up the butter so the cookies keep their shape and form lovely layers. They're ready when they feel firm and the tops no longer look shiny with butter.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Beat 50 g eggs, brush a thin layer over the cookies, then sprinkle 20 g granulated sugar on top. The egg makes the tops golden and glossy, while the sugar forms a sparkling, crunchy crust. They're ready when the tops are evenly coated with a thin film of egg and none of it pools around the bases.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Bake at 180°C for 22 to 26 minutes, swapping the positions of the two sheets halfway through. The buttery dough needs enough time to bake crisp all the way to the innermost layer. They're done when the tops are evenly golden brown and the jam that has leaked out at the bottom is bubbling and starting to caramelize.

   Bake at 180°C for about 22 to 26 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Move the cookies to a wire rack while they're still warm, before the jam at the bottom has a chance to harden onto the paper. As they cool, they become crisper and flakier. They're finished when completely cool and the bottoms come away dry and clean.

    Mark step 10 as done