APPLE AND TART CHERRY RUGELACH - the kind of cook recipe

Ingredients

Apple – Tart Cherry Jam

1 cup (114 grams) dried apples
1/2 cup (86 grams) dried tart cherries
3 cups apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Rugelach Dough

2 cups (228 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup 50 grams granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, cold
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, cold

Rugelach Sugar Filling

▢1/2 cup (96 grams) light brown sugar, packed
▢1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
▢1 cup (114 grams) pecans , lightly toasted and chopped fine

Rugelach Topping

▢1 large egg
▢1 tablespoon whole milk
▢2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
▢1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Apple and Dried Cherry Jam

Place the dried apples, the dried tart cherries, the cinnamon stick and the 3 cups of apple cider in a 4-quart sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium heat and cook until the apple cider is reduced to 1 cup, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the filling to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the mixture. Process until the fruit and juice until it resembles chunky applesauce. Pour it into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Rugelach Dough

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the food processor and process for about 10 seconds to combine. Cut the cream cheese and butter into chunks and add them to the food processor. Pulse until the dough resembles small pebbles, about 25-35 pulses.
Pour the mixture onto a work surface and press it into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. The dough should have a marbled appearance with small visible pieces of cream cheese and butter. Fold the dough into a letter fold, turn the open end towards you and roll into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Repeat this step two more times.
Fold the dough into a letter fold, turn the open end towards you and roll into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Lightly flour the work surface throughout the folding and rolling to keep it from sticking. Repeat these steps two more times. The last time the dough should come together and be pliable.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces, about 188 grams each. Shape each piece into a small circle and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 2 days. The dough can be frozen for about 1 month. If freezing for more than a day, place the plastic-wrapped dough in freezer bags.

Rugelach Sugar Filling

Toast the nuts at 350 degrees F for about 7 minutes. Allow them to cool and chop. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and cardamom and whisk together. Add the chopped nuts and stir together

Rugelach Topping

Combine 1 egg and the milk and whisk together. In another bowl, combine the sugar and the cinnamon.

Rugelach Cookies

Line a rimmed baking sheet or flat plate with parchment paper.
Place the dough on your work surface and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Roll out to a 9-1/2 to 10-inch circle and then trim to a 9-inch circle. Spread 3 tablespoons of the apple-cherry jam on the dough and leave about a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar-nut mixture over the top. Cut the dough round into 8 wedges.
Roll each wedge into a crescent shape. Place the rugelach on the baking sheet or flat plate and refrigerate for about an hour or up to 24 hours. You can also freeze for about 20 minutes if you are short on time.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the rugelach on a rimmed baking sheet 2-inches apart. Brush with the egg-milk mixture and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 16-19 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Storage

The cookies are good at room temperature in an air tight container for ten days.

Notes

The recipe officially makes 32 cookies, but the dough leftover from trimming the dough circles ends up being enough to produce 6 or 8 more rugelach cookies.If you are allergic to nuts, this recipe can be made without nuts.

Nutrition