Rugelach Three Ways

Heads up; this is WORK, but worth it. This is the Barefoot Contessa dough that I made parve, for all you kosher bakers who want this for a meat meal. Ina gives the apricot nut flavor, and I added the chocolate and vanilla varieties. My ten year old son is strictly vanilla:). My guests go crazy for these. I triple the recipe, since I’m clearly a glutton for self inflicted punishment.

Makes 4 dozen.
Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese or parve cream cheese
1/2 pound room temp unsalted butter/ margarine
1/4 cup sugar Plus 9 tbsp
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash

Cream the cheese and butter in a mixer with paddle attachment until light. Add the 1/4 cup sugar ONLY, salt, and vanilla. With mixer on low, add the flour slowly. Mix until just combined. Dump the dough onto a well floured board, and divide into quarters. Wrap each piece in plastic. Chill in fridge for two hours.

Filling options:
Apricot raisin nut: mix 6 tbsp sugar with the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nuts, and raisins. Apricot preserves. Spread preserves then the mixture on top. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on later.

Chocolate; chocolate spread, chocolate chips. Spread chocolate carefully with a greased spatula, then top with a generous amount of chocolate chips.

Vanilla; vanilla sugar, white chocolate chips. Brush the dough with egg wash after it’s rolled out, sprinkle all over with vanilla sugar, about 1 1/2 tbsp, and a generous amount of white chocolate chips.

On a well floured board, roll each dough ball into a 9 inch circle. Choose your filling, leaving a 2 inch border around it. With a pizza cutter dipped in flour (I dip after each roll so the dough doesn’t stick), cut the dough disc into 12 equal wedges. Starting with the wide edge on the outskirts, roll up each wedge towards the middle. Place the cookies, points tucked under on a lightly greased baking sheet. Chill in fridge 30 minutes. After chilling, brush with egg wash. I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the apricot version, regular sugar on the chocolate ones, and vanilla sugar on the vanilla ones, AFTER the egg wash. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Freeze in between layers of parchment paper if freezing, in an airtight container.