Apricot or Chocolate-Filled Rugelah Recipe

Makes 50 cakes

Ingredients:

Dough:
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup crystallized or granulated sugar
    Apricot filling:
  • 1 cup apricot jam
  • 2 tbsp cake crumbs (optional)
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, broken up Chocolate filling: (use instead of apricot filling)
  • 1 cup shaved bittersweet chocolate, about 8 oz
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups crystallized or granulated sugar

    • Instructions:

    1. Place the cream cheese, butter, confectioner's sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a food processor.
    2. Add the flour and pulse until a very soft dough is formed.
    3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
    4. Mix the ingredients for the filling of your choice and divide the dough into 4 balls.
    5. Roll the balls out into 4 circles, about 1/8 inch thick and spread with apricot or chocolate filling.
    6. Cut into pie-shaped pieces 1-inch wide at the circumference.
    7. Roll up from the wide side to the center.
    8. Beat the egg and brush the top.
    9. Sprinkle with the crystallized (or granulated) sugar and place flat on a greased cookie sheet. Alternately, roll out each ball to a rectangle, 1/4-inch thick.
    10. Top with apricot or chocolate filling.
    11. Roll each rectangle into a jelly roll and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
    12. Lay flat on a greased cookie sheet.
    13. Beat the egg, brush the tops of each cookie, and sprinkle with the crystallized (or granulated) sugar.
    14. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a preheated 350 F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.