Rugelach - Fruity

Origin: Israeli

A tart filling rolled in a butter flaky crust creating a zip in your step and also a treat that melts in your mouth.

FYI: I know this post uses a lot of the steps and pictures from Rugelach - Nutty, but that is because this one just uses a different filling, but uses the same dough.

Makes About: 64 (16 Per Dough Ball)

Time: Unknown

Difficulty: 2 out of 5 (1 being cookies in a tube - ready bake cookies)

Ingredients - Crust

2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 package (8 ounces) cold, cream cheese - cubed 2 sticks (1 cup) cold, unsalted butter - cubed 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg yolk

Filling

1/2 cup of marmalade - apricot jam or raspberry jam

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups dried fruit (mango, apricots, dates, cherries, currents, cranberries, pineapple - anything you think would go well together. I only used three.)

The Finishing Steps

Powdered Sugar - for rolling out the dough

Instructions - Crust

-Step 1 - Mix

Combine the 2 cups of flour and the 1/4 teaspoon of slat in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula or your hands, just make sure you mix it well.

-Step 2 - Cube and Mix

Cube the 2 sticks of unsalted butter and the 1 package of cream cheese.

Tip: I like to cut the butter three times down the long side and flip it once to cut it the same way into four sections. Then cut it to create small cubs. Do the same with the cream cheese.

After cubing the butter and cream cheese toss it all into the bowl with the flower and salt.

Mix the dough till it becomes clumped together and a sticky ball. I use my hands because it warms the butter and cream cheese making it stick to the flower and combining everything really well.

You can also use a food processor or a kitchen aid till it becomes clumpy if you don't want to get your hands dirty. But, between you and me, that is part of baking.

-Step 3 - Mix Some More

Mix the 1 egg yolk and and the 1 teaspoon vanilla in the same bowl as your flower, salt, butter, and cream cheese.

And yes, you will not be using the egg white so, you can eat it, toss it, or give it to a neighbor. Whatever you like.

-Step 4 - Get a Little Messy

Mix all the ingredients really well till it is all combined.

-Step 5 - Separate and Refrigerate

Separate the dough into four balls of even size and wrap in plastic wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, but can last a few days in the refrigerator.

At this time you can start making your filling, but it only takes 15-30 minutes to make.

Ingredients - Filling

-Step 6 - Make the Filling

Chop the dried fruits into tiny bits. I used mango for the tart, dates for the sweetness, and pineapple because I like tarter treats and because these three are the only things I could find in the store other than raisins and cranberries.

Tip: You can also use a food processor, but be sure to not chop it too much and pre-cut the larger pieces to the same size as the smallest pieces so it mixes together well. Also, if you do chop with a knife, be sure to realize it will take 30 minutes if you are as slow as me, but with a glass of wine, it can be pretty great.

Make sure the dried fruit is chopped into fine pieces because this will be your filling for your rugelach.

Do not mix the jam and the dried fruits!

Heat the jam in a pot till it liquefies; I use the stove on 2 to heat it evenly, then add the sugar.

Tip: You can use a microwave to heat up the jam as well, just add the sugar in after is has liquefied.

I used raspberry jam because, again, I love the tart.

Also, you can add more sugar to the jam if you like it sweeter, but I found I like this rugelach not as sweet as the nut one.

Do not mix the jam and the dried fruits!

The Finishing Steps

-Step 7 - Powder and Roll

Sprinkle powdered sugar on a flat surface and start to roll out one ball of dough. Keep the others in the fridge to stay cold.

Roll out the dough a few times and flip it over. Repeat this step till the dough is thin and rounded out (does not have to be perfect). Make sure the dough does not stick to the flat surface or rip. Flipping will keep that from happening.

-Step 8 -Stretch and Spread

Make sure your dough is round and flat and then take a spoon and spread half of your jam evenly on the dough leaving about 1/4 inch of the outside of the dough without jam.

After you spread half the jam on the dough sprinkle half the dried fruits over the jam.

Then cut the dough in half, then in quarters, then in eighths, then in sixteenths. So, you should have 16 rugelachs.

Roll the rugelach from the outside to the inside, making sure you don't rip the dough and place them on a piece of parchment paper an inch apart with the end tucked under.

-Step 9 - Refrigerate and Preheat

Place the rugulach in refrigerator for 20 minute and preheat the oven to 375F degrees. At this time you can have a glass of wine, or some water, or even a coffee. Or you can start your second batch of fruity rugelach or you can start making your nutty rugelach

-Step 10 - Bake and Enjoy

Place the rugelach in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and flaky.

Let cool for a few moments and the transfer to a wire rack and enjoy.

These delicious little treats were helped created by "Kitchn." I used the basic steps, but added more butter. I also created a few more steps for bakers wanting a little more help.