Cream Cheese Dough

Perfect to roll up all sorts of delicious goodies in.

Recipes on my Blog:

- Rugelach - Nutty

- Rugelach - Fruity

Ingredients - Crust

- Step 1 - Mix (This Makes Four Dough Balls)

2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

- Step 2 - Cube and Mix 1 package (8 ounces) cold, cream cheese - cubed 2 sticks (1 cup) cold, unsalted butter - cubed

- Step 3 - Mix Some More 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg yolk

- Step 4 - Get a Little Messy

- Step 5 - Separate and Refrigerate

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.