Walnut & Cinnamon Rugelach. You Know, For Hanukkah

I’m not Jewish. Not even 1%. I’m a shiksa. But I am 100% curious and lately, Jewish cuisine has intrigued me. One of my December goals was to make a Jewish recipe, and last night I knocked that item off my list. The funny thing is, Thursday was the first day of Hanukkah.

In typical baking fashion, I schlepped my laptop and black baby (DSLR) to the kitchen and promptly put on Pandora. Well if you remember my football cookie baking post, I last played Christmas music. So yes, people, I began making Jewish treats while listening to Christmas music. Meshuga! Guess who hates me? This lady.
FRAN!!! I almost always watch the Golden Girls before bed, but during the holiday season, the show is replaced with holiday crap. Kill me. I have been resorting to my second favorite show, The Nanny. Just be glad you’re not my boyfriend.

A simple googling of “Hanukkah desserts” led me to a very simple Jewish dessert: Rugelach. The Yiddish word translates to “little twists.” Traditionally, they are formed by rolling a triangle of dough into a crescent shape around filling. Fillings may include chocolate, nuts, spices, or fruit preserves.


Walnut and Cinnamon Rugelach from Delish

Ingredients:
Cottage-Cheese Dough

• 1 container(s) (8 ounces) cottage cheese
  
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) margarine or butter
  
• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

Walnut Filling

• 3/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar
  
• 3/4 cup(s) walnuts, finely chopped
  
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
  
• 2 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter, melted
  
• 1 large egg yolk

Directions:

1. Prepare Cottage-Cheese Dough: In food processor with knife blade attached, blend cottage cheese, margarine or butter, and flour just until combined and dough begins to come away from side of bowl. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
   
2. Prepare Walnut Filling: In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon.
   
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line large cookie sheet with foil; grease foil.
   
4. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough into 12-inch round. Brush dough with some melted margarine or butter. Spread dough with one-third filling; gently press onto dough. With pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 16 equal wedges. Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge, jelly-roll fashion. Place rugelach on cookie sheet, point side down, about 1/2 inch apart.
   
5. In cup, beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; use to brush top of each rugelach. Bake rugelach 20 to 22 minutes, until golden. Immediately remove rugelach to wire rack to cool.
   
6. Repeat with remaining dough, melted margarine or butter, filling, and yolk mixture. Store rugelach in tightly covered container up to 1 week.

Pictures of the process:

Dough rolled out into a “perfect” circle: Cut into 12 slices then brushed with butter. Clearly I have no concept of evenness. Walnut filling pressed onto dough. Rolled up and ready to bake. Two slices that got lost in the battle and became balls. Oy vey!After baking, I noshed on a couple with my favorite peppermint tea. They were really light, crispy, and sweet. You just can’t go wrong with brown sugar and butter. These Jews would be really proud.

And Amanda just called me Jewstina.

Who can spot all the Yiddish words I used in this post? Shalom!