Day 9: Rugelach
The 12 Days of Vegan Christmas Cookies
If you’ve never had rugelach, they’re a Jewish cookies/pastry; rolled into a croissant shape and stuffed with jam, nuts and raisins. Typically made with apricot jam, however you can really use any jam you’d like. Personally, I like to use peach jam that I make during the summer months. I always save a jar for my holiday baking.
The dough is light, flaky, and tender. You can make it in a food processor by pulsing the ingredients together, or you can make it in an electric mixer. I use the mixer, just because its already out during the holidays for the rest of my baking. The dough is really tender and sticky, but it will firm up slightly after a short rest in the fridge. A well floured surface will make it easier to roll and cut as well.
Rugelach
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Rugelach is a jewish cookies/pastry, rolled into a croissant shape and stuffed with jam, nuts and raisins. Typically with apricot jam, however you can use any jam. The dough is light, flaky, and tender. So delicate and dainty, as well as easy to prepare. Serve them with a cup of tea for the perfect afternoon treat.
Author: David James Di Pardo
Recipe type: Dessert, Snack, Cookies, Holiday
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: Makes 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup vegan butter, such as Earth Balance, at room temperature
- 1 8-ounce container vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup currants
- 1 cup jam (apricot, peach, or plum)
Instructions
To make the dough:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, applesauce, and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until just combined. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Dump the dough onto a well floured surface and shape into a ball. Divide the dough in 4 and wrap each portion in plastic wrap, shaping it into a disk.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To make the filling:
- In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, pecans, and currants.
To assemble the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The jam will bubble out of the cookies and stick to the baking sheets without the parchment.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place on a well floured surface. Generously dust the surface of the dough with flour and roll into a 10-11 inch circle.
- Spread the surface of the dough with a scant ¼ cup of jam, pushing it all the way to the edges.
- Sprinkle over about ¼ of the filling mixture (about ⅓ cup). Cut the circle into 12 slices using a pastry cutter, or pizza cutter.
- Roll the dough into croissant shapes, beginning at the wide end and rolling towards the point.
- Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spreading them about 2-inches apart.
- Bake on the center rack for 22 minutes, until lightly golden and puffed.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cool store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.
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