Rugelach, Another Way

For the dough:
2½ cups (12½) ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ T sugar
¼ t salt
2 sticks (8 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼ " pieces
8 oz cold cream cheese, cut into ½" chunks
2 T sour cream

For the filling:
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
1 T cinnamon
⅔ cup apricot preserves (process if necessary to break up big chunks)
1 cup golden (or other) raisins
2¼ cup (9 oz) walnuts, chopped fine

For the glaze:
2 large egg yolks
2 T milk

Pre-heat oven to 375F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse to mix. Add butter, cream cheese and sour cream, process until dough comes together in small uneven, cottage cheese-like curds. About 15 pulses.

For Crescent-shaped: Turn mixture out and press into a 9“ x6” log. Divide into 4 equal portions. Press into a 4½“ disk. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll into an 8½” circle. Stack dough on a plate and “freeze” for 30 minutes (or in freezer bags for up to a month for future baking).

For “Roulades”: Roll into four 7“ x 11” rectangles.

Stack dough on a plate and “freeze” for 15 minutes (or in freezer bags for up to a month for future baking).

Preparing the filling:
Mix cinnamon and sugar, set aside. Line 2 heavy rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one circle or roulade at a time, remove dough from freezer and spread 2½ T preserves, ¼ cup raisins, 2 T cinnamon-sugar, and ½ cup walnuts over dough. Pat gently with your fingers.

Crescent-shaped:Cut dough into 8 wedges and roll up from wide to the narrow pointed end. Place 2" apart on prepared sheets and freeze for 15 minutes.

Traditional-shaped (from rolled-up dough[roulade]): Starting from long-side, roll dough tightly into a long cylinder. Try to keep the filling in the dough as much as possible. Trim each end of cylinder to get a nice clean edge. Cut into 1“ pieces. Place 2” apart on sheet. Place seam side down on baking sheets and freeze for 15 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks and milk together and brush this over the tops and sides of “frozen” rugelach. Bake in middle (upper-middle and lower-middle racks) for 21-23 minutes until pale gold and slightly puffy. Rotate baking sheets if necessary as in front-to-back and/or shelf-to-shelf halfway through baking time.

Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately upon leaving the oven. Carefully transfer to wire rack for cooling. Store for 4 days OR freeze.


Update: You can get teiglach and other authentic Jewish sweets through mail order from the Delancey Dessert Company in New York.