Rugelach....tears and smiles

 

This was a difficult week for my family...my dear cousin lost his valiant battle with cancer. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him...

Food is the thing that brings us together. In good times and in bad. It can bring a smile to faces that have no more smiles to give. It gives us memories of the past...it brings us together.

I often wonder why we wait for only those really good times and the really bad times to all be together as a family. 

When I was a little girl and we all lived on the same street...houses away from one another. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents...times changed and everyone moved and went in different directions and only memories remain.

Miles separate us...families go their separate ways...but no matter what happens...the love is still there.

I was baking these rugelach at 7:00 in the morning the other day. The light in my kitchen was lovely and I enjoyed baking these. I also enjoyed the happiness they gave...that was a good thing...

 

This is my most requested cookie. I got the recipe from the now gone Cuisine magazine in the early 80's. The recipe was from Sarabeth Levine...Sarabeth's in NYC...they are special because of the plum jam and the shower of powdered sugar...I know they are wonderful with raspberry jam or apricot but they are not as good as these...I promise you that. I have used mini chocolate chips in place of the nuts, or some grated bittersweet chocolate.  I have added to and adapted this recipe to what it is now. I lost the little faded article with the recipe a few years ago...but thankfully it remained in my head.

The recipe makes three dozen. I had to use restraint to bring all of these to my cousin's home and not keep any for us...The dough freezes well. Try them...you will love them too....

 Sarabeth's Rugelach
adapted from a recipe printed in a magazine many years ago....

1 cup butter softened
1 8 oz.pkg. cream cheese softened
½ cup + 2 T.sugar divided
½ t.vanilla
¼ t.salt
2 cups flour
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
½ cup currants
2 T.cinnamon

½ cup plum preserves (I usually use Bonne Maman Damson Plum,that is the easiest to find*)

Confectioners sugar

Pre-Heat oven to 350*
Mix Cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.
Cream together butter and cream cheese,add 2 T.sugar,vanilla,salt ,and flour…I use my hand mixer for this…you could use a processor or the big stand mixer if you want.
Turn out on board and knead quickly until just together and smooth…
Divide into 3 pieces, press each piece into disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or overnight
Roll disc out into a 10 inch or 12 inch circle…don’t worry if the edges are uneven. I use a marble slab for this but a clean counter will work as well. You want to work quickly and not let the dough become too warm.
Spread 1/3 of the jam, the cinnamon sugar,nuts and currants over dough. Leave a 1 inch border without filling around circle. You can roll over filling covered with parchment paper, with rolling pin to press into dough…you don’t have to though
With a long sharp knife or bench knife cut into 12 pie shaped pieces.It is easier to cut the circle into quarters and then cut each quarter into three equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a crescent, long end toward the point. Place on a parchment lined (or silpat) baking sheet. Turn the edges in so it looks like a crescent.
Bake at 350* for 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check them when you smell them....
Cool on rack…dust liberally with powdered sugar..I usually sift the sugar over them while they are on the Rack…I place the rack over a parchment lined baking sheet,to catch the sugar.
Also the Bonne Maman jam has lots of chunks of fruit, if you want to be very precise you can whizz the jam in the processor until smooth....I tend to just work around the chunks...it is your call. One word of caution...the cinnamon sugar in this recipe makes a lot. I do not use it all. I eyeball it...so use your own discretion when you sprinkle it on. I probably use about two Tablespoons or so of the mixture for each round of dough...

 *Hero also makes a plum jam as does the Barefoot Contessa. Sarabeth makes a Plum Cherry preserve  which is also lovely in these....