Sarabeth’s Rugelach

This recipe comes from Sarabeth’s restaurant in NYC…I got it in the old Cuisine magazine in the very early 80’s and I have been making them ever since. Two years ago I lost my written recipe…never found it. I have been making them for so long I remembered the ingredients but I had to write the directions myself. I hope they are clear. I have used raspberry and apricot preserves, but they are just not the same as with the plum. I have also replaced the nuts with mini-chocolate chips. But in the end when made exactly as the recipe is written they are really, really good. DO NOT OVER WORK THIS DOUGH. The dough will keep in the fridge for up to three days and you can also freeze the dough for those rugelach emergencies....

 1 cup butter softened

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
½ cup + 2 T. sugar divided
½ t. vanilla
¼ t. salt
2 cups flour
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
½ cup currants
2 T. cinnamon
½ cup plum preserves (I usually use Bonne Maman Damson Plum,as that is the only plum I can ever find)
Confectioners’ sugar

Pre-Heat oven to 350*

Mix Cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.

Cream together butter and cream cheese, add 2 T. sugar, vanilla, salt ,and flour…I use my hand mixer for this…you could use a processor or the big stand mixer if you want.

Turn out on board and knead quickly until just together and smooth…

Divide into 3 pieces, press each piece into disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or overnight

Roll disc out into a 10 inch or 12 inch circle…don’t worry if the edges are uneven. I use a marble slab for this but a clean counter will work as well.

Spread 1/3 of the jam, the cinnamon sugar, nuts and currants over dough. Leave a 1 inch border without filling around circle. You can roll over filling with rolling pin to press into dough…you don’t have to though

With a long sharp knife or bench knife cut into 12 pie shaped pieces.

Roll each piece into a crescent, long end toward the point. Place on a parchment lined (or silpat) baking sheet . Turn the edges in so it looks like a crescent.

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on rack…dust liberally with powdered sugar. I usually sift the sugar over them while they are on the Rack…I place the rack over a baking sheet to catch the sugar.

Also the Bonne Maman jam has lots of chunks of fruit, if you want to be very precise you can whizz the jam in the processor until smooth....I tend to just work around the chunks...it is your call! One word of caution...the cinnamon sugar in this recipe makes a whole lot. I do not use it all. I eyeball it...so use your own discretion when you sprinkle it on. I probably use about two Tablespoons or so of the mixture for each round of dough...

These are really nice to give as a gift...you will be da bomb if you do, I promise!

Recipe Source: http://linda-howtocookawolf.blogspot.com/2008/10/sarabeths-rugelach.html