Sour Cherry Rugelach

This cookie was submitted to the LA Times for their cookie contest. I love sour cherry sweets and immediately grabbed the recipe off my computer. Rugelach are dough pastries which are wrapped around a tasty filling, often a nut filling. These are rolled a little differently than most. There are many variations of filling, but this one really tickles my taste buds.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 10 mins
• Yields: 60 rugelach

Ingredients

• Dough

• 1  cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2 3⁄4 cups flour
• 1  teaspoon salt

• Filling

• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 (3 1/2ounce) package  dried sour cherries, finely chopped (2/3 cup)
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground allspice

• Glaze

• 1  large egg, beaten
•  granulated sugar

Directions

1. To make the Dough: Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat till fluffy. Mix in flour and salt. Gather dough into ball, gently knead until smooth and flour is incorporated.
2. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the Filling: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Unwrap a disc of dough and roll into an 8" x 8" square on a lightly floured surface. Spread 1/8 of the filling (about 1/4 cup) onto center of dough with back of a spoon., leaving about 1/2-inch border on top and bottom.
5. Starting at top, carefully roll squares into a tight roll. Using a sharp knife slice roll into 3/4-inch slices, discarding the ends.
6. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and repeat with remaining discs of dough. Brush each cookie with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until rugelach is golden. Cool on wire racks.
8. NOTE: The cherries and walnuts are both easily chopped, speparately, in the food processor.