Raspberry and Apricot Rugelach

HocoRuco's Note:

I'm not Jewish and I can not remember where I found this recipe but I absolutely love it. The cookie itself is a bit tangy from the cream cheese and the dried apricots and raspberry preserves add some sweetness along with the cinnamon sugar. The preparation is a bit time consuming but its well worth the effort.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 48

Yield: 48.0 cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried apricot, chopped (I prefer Blenheim variety but Turkish work fine too)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves (ideally no seeds but it doesn't really matter)
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1. 1. In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat margarine or butter with cream cheese until blended and smooth. Beat in vanilla extract, salt, 1 cup flour, and ¼ cup sugar until blended.
2. 2. With spoon, stir in remaining flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. 3. To Prepare Filling: In medium bowl, with spoon, stir walnuts, apricots, brown sugar, ¼ Celsius plus 2 Tbsp white sugar, and ½ tsp cinnamon until well mixed.
4. 4. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and grease foil.
5. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of chilled dough into a 9-inch round, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Spread dough with 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves. Sprinkle with about ½ cup apricot filling; gently press filling onto dough. With pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 12 equal wedges. Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge, jelly-roll fashion. Place cookies on foil-lined cookie sheets, point side down, about ½ inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, one-fourth at a time.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
7. In a cup, mix remaining 2 Tbsp sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. With pastry brush, brush rugelach with milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
8. Bake rugelach at 325*F on two oven racks about 30 to 35 minutes until golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time. Immediately remove rugelach to wire racks to cool. Store in tightly covered container.