Rugelach - Crescent Shaped Cookies

A Hanukkah tradition, these bite-size crescent-shaped cookies can have any of several fillings including raisins, nuts, poppy-seed paste or jam. The dough must be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Recipe Source Relish Mag

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• Dough

• 1  cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1  cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

• Filling

• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1⁄3 cups  finely chopped walnuts
• 4  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1  egg yolk, beaten with
• 1  teaspoon milk

Directions

1. To prepare dough, beat cream cheese and butter together with a mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add half the flour, beating at low speed only until blended. Stir in remaining flour.
2. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Turn to coat with flour and divide into thirds. Shape each portion into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
4. To prepare filling, combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
5. Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Brush with one-third of the butter and sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture. Cover with wax paper and press filling into dough. Remove wax paper. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge from its wide edge, and set rolls point side down on a baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and filling.
6. Brush rolls lightly with egg yolk mixture. Bake about 30 minutes, until pastries are golden brown. Rotate baking sheets top to bottom and front to back during baking to ensure even browning. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.