Forevermama's Crescent Rugelach Cookies

This is hands down one of my most popular and favorite cookies that I make for Christmas. They're so good and unlike many Rugelach cookies that I've had. I've been making these forever. I got it from a Good Housekeeping magazine from either late 70's or 80's. It is a recipe that was submitted by Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls and Maude, remember her? They're addictive, so watch it!

• Ready In: 25 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 22-25
• Yields: 70-80 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4ounce) package active dry yeast
• 3⁄4 cup  plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3  large  egg yolks
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream or 1⁄2 cup  whipping cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  cup butter or 1  cup margarine, softened
• 3  tablespoons cinnamon
• 1  cup strawberries or 1  cup  seedless raspberry jam
• 1  cup  finely chopped walnuts
• 1 1⁄4 cups golden raisins

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar in water.
2. Combine flour and salt in a mixer bowl. With mixer at low speed, beat in yeast mixture, egg yolks, cream and vanilla.
3. Blend in butter 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated.
4. Wrap dough and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with foil. Grease foil.
6. Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle heaping tablespoon on work surface (you will be using more of the sugar/cinnamon mixture for rolling). (If necessary, you may need to make more cinnamon-sugar mixture).
7. Divide dough into 10 pieces; shape into balls. Cover each ball with plastic wrap. Place balls in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be refrigerated overnight at this point).
8. Roll 1 ball into an 8" circle, turning to coat well with cinnamon-sugar. Cut into 8 wedges.
9. Place 1/2 tsp jam, a pinch of walnuts and a few golden raisins in the outer edge of each wedge.
10. Roll up each wedge from outer edge; transfer to cookie sheet, curving to form a crescent.
11. Repeat with remaining dough.
12. Bake 25-30 minutes, until browned and puffed.
13. Remove rugelach immediately from aluminum foil (Very important step or else they will stick to foil and you will end up having to peel foil from bottom of cookies).
14. Place on wire rack to cool.
15. Tip!: In order to remove seeds from raspberry jam, heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat until jam begins to melt. Pour melted jam into a sieve and with a spoon press the jam "liquid" through the sieve mesh. The sieve will separate the seeds from jam and you'll wind up with seedless jam.