25 Days of Treats: Rugelach

I wanted to make at least one "out of the ordinary" treat for my 25 days of treats. We had a neighborhood cookie party tonight, so I thought I would try out this recipe I found on food network by Ina Garten. I was a little hesitant because I am not a fan of fruit type desserts, and I do not like raisins. But, I was willing to give it a try, and I substituted a little. In the recipe it calls for apricot preserves and raisins. I used orange marmalade and orange flavored crasins instead. I also made half of them with peanut butter and mini chocolate chips. I actually liked the orange marmalade ones better! They are very good, and not too hard to make. The dough does get very sticky, so I would suggest refrigerating it for an hour, and then working with one section at a time, leaving the other sections in the fridge. Also, make sure you use a lot of flour to roll it in!

Mine also didn't look very pretty, so I didn't want to scare people away by my picture. If click on the link below, you can see what it is supposed to look like.

Rugelach from foodnetwork.com

 Ingredients
nocoupons

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 9 tablespoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Add the cheese and butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circles into 12 equal wedges-cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Arrange the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet(s) lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and let cool. Arrange on a large platter and serve.