Cherry Chocolate Rugalach
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2¾ cups unbleached white flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup chilled cherry preserves (10-ounce jar)*
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ¾ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup finely chopped almonds**
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- sprinkling of sugar
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and salt and knead the dough briefly until well mixed.
- Wrap the dough in a large sheet of wax paper to form a tight package and mold the dough into a 12-inch-iong log.
- Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake the rugalach, combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk for the glaze.
- Line a heavy baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it with cooking spray.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces.
- Gently flatten each piece into a disk and wrap each one in wax paper.
- Work with one disk at a time and keep the rest refrigerated.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each disk between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9-inch round.
- Spread one-quarter of the filling on the dough and pat down.
- Carefully cut each round into 8 equal pie-shaped wedges.
- Roll up the wedges from the wide outer edge to the center point.
- Place the pastries point side down on the pan about an inch apart.
- Preheat the oven to 375° when you begin to work on the last disk of dough.
- Brush all of the pastries with the glaze and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Carefully transfer the rugalach to a wire rack to cool completely, then store in a sealed container.
If the preserves have large pieces of cherries, briefly whirl in a food processor to break them up.
If chopping almonds in a food processor or blender, add ½ teaspoon of flour to prevent the nuts from becoming pasty.
Recipe by Moosewood Restaurant & Recipes | Ithaca, NY at https://moosewoodcooks.com/2014/12/cherry-chocolate-rugalach/
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