Rugelach

By Hklbrries

"A Hanukkah tradition, these bite-size crescent-shaped cookies can have any of several fillings including raisins, nuts, poppy-seed paste or jam. The dough must be made a day ahead and refrigerated."


"He found them in cabs, elevators, through friends of acquaintances and by word of mouth. He traveled all over America and even to China and Portugal.

Greg Patent was looking for bakers, but not just any bakers. He wanted to find home cooks preparing recipes that reflect and preserve their heritage - dishes such as Strufoli from Italy, Crumpets from South Africa and Pumpkin Empanadas from Mexico.

When he found them, he baked with them. Baking is in the blood of this award-winning cookbook author. At the age of 19, Patent was one of the first males ever to win the Pillsbury Bake-off with his Apricot Dessert Bars. In 2002, he won the prestigious James Beard award for his book, 'Baking in America,' in which he painstakingly traced the origins and evolution of classic baked goods such as Boston Cream Pie and Parker House Rolls. In his latest book, 'A Baker's Odyssey,' he turned his attention to America's immigrants and the recipes handed down through the ages. His odyssey lasted three years and took him to the home kitchens of more than five dozen cooks.

One baker was Cindy Klotz, who learned to bake Rugalach by her Russian grandmother's side. Another was Betty Groff, a 10th-generation Pennsyvlania Dutch descendant, restaurateur and cookbook author. The child of a Russian father and an Iraqi mother, Patent moved with his family to



Shanghai, where his parents met and married, to San Francisco in 1950. An immigrant himself, he shares his own favorite recipes he learned from his mother and grandmothers. Counting his own ethnic background, Patent uncovers the baking secrets of more than 30 cultures - from Austria, Norway and Italy to Mexico, India and Nigeria and presents the best of each culture's baking heritage."

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• Filling:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/3 cups finely chopped walnuts
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp milk

Details

Servings 36
Adapted from relishmag.com

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare dough, beat cream cheese and butter together with a mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add half the flour, beating at low speed only until blended. Stir in remaining flour.

Scrape dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Turn to coat with flour and divide into thirds. Shape each portion into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.

To prepare filling, combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.

Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Brush with one-third of the butter and sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture. Cover with wax paper and press filling into dough. Remove wax paper. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge from its wide edge, and set rolls point side down on a baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and filling.

Brush rolls lightly with egg yolk mixture. Bake about 30 minutes, until pastries are golden brown. Rotate baking sheets top to bottom and front to back during baking to ensure even browning. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Information:
Per rugelach
140 calories
12 g fat
30 mg cholesterol
2 g protein
8 g carbohydrates
0 g fiber
65 mg sodium