Thank you Dorie

Posted by -Chaya

I finished my cooking, cleaned up and thought I would blog a while and post my rugelach results.  Suddenly, I realized, I am hosting Presto Pasta Nights.  I have done it before and while it is loads of fun, it takes time to do.  Then, I started berating myself for not making the rugelach, earlier in the month, as if that would help the situation.

All of a sudden, there were fireworks ----- maybe, maybe, maybe Dorie Greenspan would have her recipe online.  Sho nuff, NPR had it complete and correct.  I am going to copy it for you.  It is a good recipe.

Sitting on my kitchen table for weeks, is Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie.  Since, I bake with the Tuesdays With Dorie bakers, you would think, I would have immediately picked up that book and found this recipe.  Nope, didn't dawn on me to do something so logical. As the month was coming to an end, I knew, I would have to make up my mind.  I had run off loads of rugelach recipes and I also have loads of cookbooks to use.  I have some excellent Baking Books that I want to use more often and I would bet that almost all of them have rugelach recipes in them.

A few days ago, I finally spotted Dories book, which I looked at breakfast, daily.  I have been baking from that book, almost every week.  Please, someone remind me, when the new recipe is announced, to make Dorie, my go to book.  If you don't have her book and are in the market for an excellent baking book, I think, this is the one.  This is, by far the best cookbook (baking) that I have. 

The only aspect of this that was challenging for me, was the wait time, between steps.  I am the gal who wants to have a recipe on the table in a half an hour.  One evening, I made the dough and divided it, into two packages.  Into the fridge, it went. The next morning, I was raring to go and something came up and I had to ignore that dough that was screaming for attention. 

After work, out it came and I patiently made the filling and rolled the dough, perfect rectangle. Yes, it was to be a circle.  Then, I spread the filling, another rectangle and came to the rolling the triangles.  It went well but with all the oozing, later, the shapes lost something in the translation.  I could not care though.  These were the most delicious cookies.  The oozing cooked up into the tastiest edges (like a lace cookie)

I made the first batch with apricot preserves, dried apricots, walnuts and chocolate.  I had leftover chocolate and apricot preserves so I used them and I used golden raisins, this time, with additional walnuts.  Both were good.  I am keeping far from them.  I think I could demolish them, in one sitting.

Dorie's Rugelach

For the Dough

4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces  

1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold margarine, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts because they were already chopped)

1/4 cup plump, moist dried currants (I cut up dried apricots into small pieces and used that)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, (I used my new immersion blender to chop up the chocolate - what a blessing - it was easy and took a few seconds and came out just right.)

For the Glaze  (I completely forgot this for the first batch.  I put the second batch in the oven and then remembered. I once again had not put it on.  At this point, I was too tired to fuss so I sprinkled some cinnamon and some chocolate shreds on the cookies.)

1 large egg
1 teaspoon cold water
2 tablespoons sugar, preferably decorating (coarse) sugar

For the Filling

2/3 cup raspberry jam, apricot jam or marmalade

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Makes 32 cookies

TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Let the cream cheese and butter rest on the counter for 10 minutes — you want them to be slightly softened but still cool.

Put the flour and salt in a food processor, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and pulse the machine 6 to 10 times. Then process, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, just until the dough forms large curds — don't work it so long that it forms a ball on the blade.

Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day. (Wrapped airtight, the dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)

TO MAKE THE FILLING: Heat the jam in a saucepan over low heat, or do this in a microwave, until it liquefies. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.  (I microwaved the cinnamon and sugar with the apricot preserves because I did not read carefully but it came out just fine.)

Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (Silicone baking mats are great for rugelach.)

TO SHAPE THE COOKIES: Pull one packet of dough from the refrigerator. If it is too firm to roll easily, either leave it on the counter for about 10 minutes or give it a few bashes with your rolling pin. (this is what I love about Dorie.  She is practical.  She knows that some of us are not going to wait so she gives us solutions.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11- to 12-inch circle. Spoon (or brush) a thin gloss of jam over the dough, and sprinkle over half of the cinnamon sugar. Scatter over half of the nuts, half of the dried apricots and half of the chopped chocolate. Cover the filling with a piece of wax paper and gently press the filling into the dough, then remove the paper and save it for the next batch. (Wax paper is a great idea.  Paper was covered with ooze so I invested in a second sheet of parchment paper.)

Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges, or triangles. (The easiest way to do this is to cut the dough into quarters, then to cut each quarter into 4 triangles.) Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each cookie becomes a little crescent. Arrange the roll-ups on one baking sheet, making sure the points are tucked under the cookies, and refrigerate. Repeat with the second packet of dough, and refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking. (The cookies can be covered and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; don't defrost before baking, just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

TO GLAZE: Stir the egg and water together, and brush a bit of this glaze over each rugelach. Sprinkle the cookies with the sugar.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until they are puffed and golden. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

STORING: The cookies can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months.