When I was a little girl, my family made rugelash for christmas every year. Those little cookies is a something between a small croissant and a cookie. The cookies require a little work, but trust me it is for sure worth your effort. For Christmas I roll the soft and flaky crust with jam, nuts, cinnamon and orange zest. However, you can roll anything inside: nutella, cheese, any kids of jam. For my Christmas rugelash, I like to add a little bit of lemon zest and fresh ginger flavors to make the cookies holiday special.
Makes 4 dozens (~50) cookies
Ingredients:
8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup + 6 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts
1 cup jam
lemon zest of one lemon
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
1/2 powder sugar for dusting
Directions
Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add the flour, and mix until the dough is smooth. Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Roll the dough into a ball, and cut into quarters.
Flatten each out into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine 6 tbs sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and walnuts, orange zest. Set aside.
Roll the dough out into a 9-inch circle. Spread some of the jam on to the crust, leaving about an inch bare.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the walnut mixture on top of the jam. Roll up the dough from the edges to the middle.
Refrigerate the rolled cookies for at least one hour before baking.
Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. When cookies are ready, dust them with powder sugar.
Enjoy!
Flamikgirls 