Rugelach - the cookie nightmare of perfectionists

I guess that this recipe tried to teach me a lesson: nothing worse for a perfectionist/control freak like me to realize that no, I won’t be able to shape all the cookies the same way and yes, some will be tiny and others will be huge. At least I waited for a cold day to make these (after the other rugelach fiasco) and despite the problems with the rolling and shaping of the cookies they turned out delicious – the cocoa and pecans work beautifully with the raspberry jam and the dough is so tender and flaky it resembles puff pastry.

Rugelach
from the delicious Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

Dough:
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
226g (8oz) cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 ¼ cups (315g) unbleached all-purpose flour
approximately ½ cup raspberry or apricot preserves

Filling:
¼ cup (28g) pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Reduce the speed to low. Add 1¼ cups of the flour and mix just until incorporated, then repeat with the remaining 1 cup of flour. Do not overmix.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands well and gently knead to be sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed, about 10 seconds. Divide the dough into thirds. Shape each portion into a 2.5cm (1in) thick disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.

Filling: combine the pecans, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
Preheat to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with foil.
Working with one disk of dough at a time (keep the others refrigerated), unwrap and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and roll out into a 32cm (13in) diameter circle. Using a small offset metal spatula, spread with about 2 tablespoons of the preserves, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) border around the edge. Sprinkle the jam with about 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture. Using a sharp pizza wheel or large knife, cut the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 wedges, to give a total of 12 wedges. One at a time, starting at the wide end, fold the corners in about 6mm (¼in) and then roll up. Do not roll the rugelach too tightly or the jam and filling will ooze out. Keep the outside of each cookie free of the jam and filling, or they’ll tend to burn. Wipe your fingers clean after making each rugelach, or you will transfer the sticky interior of the last cookie to the exterior of the next one. Place each rugelach on the pans about 2.5cm (1in) apart, with the point of each facing down. Curve the ends of the rugelach slightly toward the point to make a crescent. Repeat this process with the other two disks of dough.
Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on the pans.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Walnut, cranberry and cinnamon rugelach

I told you once that I can be quite stubborn sometimes – and I wasn’t kidding. :D

Kate Zuckerman’s pretty rugelach cookies had been on my mind forever, but I never had all the ingredients on hand. Well, I finally did – on a 30ºC (86ºF) day. I knew it was too hot and that the dough sounded too delicate for such temperature, but I insisted on making it anyway.
All I can say is that the cookies were delicious – a couple of friends loved them – but they did not turn out as beautiful as Kate’s, because I could not roll the dough correctly.
Living and learning – I hope so. :D

Walnut, cranberry and cinnamon rugelach
from The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle

Dough:
8 tablespoons (4oz/112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
112g (4oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Filling:
1 cup (110g) walnuts, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup (55g) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (the original recipe called for currants)
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
1 egg, for egg wash

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy and has increased in volume, 5-8 minutes. On slow speed, add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough is thoroughly combined. Set the mixer on medium speed and beat the dough for 15 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and press it down until it is 2.5cm (1in) thick. Refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours or overnight.

Make the filling: in a bowl, using a fork, toss together the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, cranberries and ¼ cup (50g) of the sugar. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rough rectangle approximately 32x40cm (13x16in). Using a pizza cutter or paring knife, trim the dough into 2 rectangles measuring 16x40cm (6 ½ x16 in).
In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Lay out each rectangle with the 16-in side directly in front o f you on the counter. Brush off any excess flour. Brush the egg wash over the entire surface of the dough. Evenly coat both rectangles of dough with the walnut filling, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) wide strip of dough on the edge farther away from you. Starting with the dough edge closer to you, tightly roll the dough away from you, tucking the filling under the dough as you roll. When you reach the strip of dough without topping, apply a little pressure to seal, and roll the log so that the seam is on the bottom, against the counter. Gently slide the logs of dough onto a cookie sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour; refrigerate the remaining egg wash. The logs can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours or in the freezer for 1 week.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF ½ hour before baking. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper or foil.
Glaze the chilled logs with the reserved egg and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar. Slice each log into 2.5cm (1in) cross sections – you should get between 16 and 18 slices from each log. Place the cookies 2.5cm (1in) apart on the prepared sheets* and bake until puffed and dark golden brown, 15-18 minutes – mine needed 30 minutes to become golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the sheets.
Cookies will keep, well wrapped, for 4 days.

* the recipe did not specified how the cookies should be placed on the sheets, so I baked the first batch with the cut side down and the other with the cookies standing with the seam down – imho, the second batch looked prettier, but a couple of cookies fell down while in the oven

Makes 32-36 cookies – I got 33