Rugelach

The flour is mixed with sugar and salt, forming a solid base for the dough. The butter, cut into thin slices, is added to the flour mixture, and with the help of our fingers, we rub everything until we achieve a crumbly texture, similar to bread crumbs. This step is essential to evenly incorporate the butter, ensuring a tender dough. Once we have the desired texture, we add the cream cheese and sour cream (or yogurt) on top, and then knead well until the ingredients are perfectly combined, resulting in a homogeneous dough. If you have a food processor, you can use this appliance to save time and effort. Once the dough is ready, we take it out of the processor bowl, place it on a floured work surface, and knead it gently for a minute. Be careful not to over-knead it, or it may become sticky.

After we finish kneading, we divide the dough into four equal pieces, which we roll out into rectangular sheets. Each sheet obtained is wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for an hour or two. This step is important to allow the dough to cool and become easier to handle. In the meantime, we turn our attention to the delicious filling, which will make these pastries truly special.

The raisins are covered with water, and sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon are added, then brought to a boil. We boil the raisins until the water reduces, and they become caramelized and fragrant. If there is any liquid left, it is carefully drained. After the raisins have cooled, we place them in a separate bowl and add the coarsely chopped nuts. Using a stick blender, we turn everything into a homogeneous paste, taking care to maintain an interesting texture. We let the mixture cool completely.

When the dough sheets are well chilled, we take out one sheet and spread a quarter of the raisin cream on it, then carefully roll it up. The formed rolls are wrapped back in plastic wrap and placed back in the refrigerator, repeating the process with all four sheets of dough. After we have filled all the sheets, we leave them in the refrigerator for an hour to firm up a bit.

We take each roll out one at a time, cut slices about 1.5 cm thick, and place them on a baking tray, ensuring that the seam side is facing down. The eggs are cracked and beaten well, mixing them with 1-2 tablespoons of water, after which we brush the pastries with this mixture. On top, we sprinkle brown sugar, which will caramelize beautifully during baking. The tray is placed in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) and baked until the pastries turn golden and crispy. After removing them from the oven, we place them on a rack to cool, and finally, we dust them with vanilla sugar.

These rugelach are the perfect pastries to be served alongside a fragrant tea, having a special appearance and irresistible flavor. The roll shape gives them an elegant look, and the combination of raisins and nuts makes them a delight appreciated by everyone. This recipe can be adapted according to individual preferences, allowing for experimentation with various fillings, but the classic combination of raisins and nuts remains a winning choice.

 Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups of flour (285 gr + 1 tablespoon) and some extra for the work surface 1 tablespoon sugar pinch of salt 2 sticks of butter (225 gr) 8 oz cream cheese (225 gr) 2 tablespoons of sour cream or Greek yogurt 2 eggs for brushing demerara sugar brown sugar (non-sticky strands) for decoration Filling 3/4 cup raisins (one 250 ml cup filled 3/4 with fruit) water to cover the raisins 4 tablespoons of sugar (brown would be ideal) vanilla to taste 1 cup nuts (one 250 ml cup filled with chopped nuts) 1/2 cup apricot jam (homemade because store-bought contains chemical pectin and liquefies in the oven heat) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 Tags:  eggs unt flour sour cream sugar fruits nut vegetarian recipes