These tiny turnovers have the same balance of filling to dough as my number one favorite cookie, rugelach, but they are easier to prepare because they aren't rolled.Rugelachmeans rolled; therefore, I have dubbed these "un-rugelach." The buttery cinnamon/walnut flavors fill your mouth with opulent pleasure, but despite their richness, they are easy to keep on eating because of the fresh tangyness from the apricot jam filling.
Ingredients
Makes about twenty-two 3 1/2-inch turnovers
Dough
Filling
Topping
Equipment
Food Processor Method
Step 1
In a food processor with the metal blade, place the cream cheese and butter and process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the sugar and vanilla and process for a few seconds to incorporate them. Add the flour and salt and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together.
Electric Mixer Method
Step 2
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until blended. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour and salt just until incorporated
Both Methods
Step 3
刮面团成一块保鲜膜press it together to form a ball. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it well, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Make the Filling
Step 4
In a medium bowl, with a fork, stir together the sugars, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts until well mixed.
Step 5
Using a 1 1/4 inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure, scoop out level measures of dough, placing them on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate the dough. Remove one piece of dough and roll it quickly between floured palms to form a ball. Dust it well with flour and place it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use the flat bottom of a tumbler to press the ball flat and then a light rolling pin to roll it into a 3 1/2-inch circle. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and spread rounded 1/2 tablespoons of apricot lekvar or preserves evenly over the dough, almost to the edge. Carefully place 2 teaspoons of the nut mixture on one half of the dough circle, leaving a narrow border. Use the plastic wrap to lift the other half of the dough up and over the filling to encase it. Leaving the plastic wrap in place, press along the border of the dough to seal in the filling. Remove the plastic wrap, brush away any excess flour, and place the turnover on a prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each turnover. For the best shape, cover the turnovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set the oven racks so that they divide the oven into thirds.
Step 7
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Step 8
With a pastry brush or feather, brush each turnover with milk and sprinkle evenly with the sugar and cinnamon topping.
Step 9
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and back to front halfway through the baking period. Use a small pancake turner to transfer the turnovers to wire racks to cool completely.
Store
Step 10
Airtight, room temperature, up to 5 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
Understanding
Step 11
This cream cheese dough can be more fragile and tender than the one used for pies and tarts (it contains no water to develop gluten), because it does not need strength due to the small size of the pastries.
Leave a Review
Reviews (7)
Back to Top4 for taste. 2 for difficulty in preparation. 3 fork average. We used the cookie scoop as described. It only made 11 of these. 1/2 T of preserves oozed out of every one. They were really delicious, but my husband, who did most of the work on these was really frustrated with this recipe by the end. If we make them again, I'll try rolling the dough into a single sheet and using a cookie cutter to cut them out. I'd also be game to try mixing the preserves & the nuts as another reviewer did. That sounds like it would be an easier/cleaner way to go with less of a chance of oozing onto the sheet and into the oven.
sforchid
Berkeley, CA
4/7/2008
Fabulous! These got snatched right up at my caroling party. The dough works well for rolling and has cool pastry texture once cooked. Just used a few different varieties of jam for the filling which was easy and still tasty. Also just cooled all the dough at once, rolled it out like sugar cookies and cut in circles with a cup and then filled and folded circle in half. Pressed together with fork and sprinkled with vanilla sugar.
ECSchneider
12/28/2006
Forgot to mention: I also substituted coarsely chopped dried apricots for raisins, because I'm not that crazy about raisins.
aeglatz
Champaign, IL
1/1/2006
With substantial modifications- I accidentally mixed in the apricot preserves with the nut mixture, but that worked really well & eliminated a step. #2: I added vanilla & about 1/4 c. lemon juice to nut mixture, along w/ a pinch each of fresh-ground cumin & cardamom. #3: Easier than the method described for making the dough discs: Tortilla press. #4: Extra decadent if brush with butter rather than milk. These were SO amazingly good.
aeglatz
Champaign, IL
1/1/2006
It's been a while, but to the cook from Nantucket and anyone else who is confused: These are called "unrolled" because each little piece of cookie dough isn't spread with filling and rolled up like a mini crescent jelly roll, as are traditional rugelach. The rolling isn't referring to using a rolling pin, it's referring to what usually happens to rugelach after the dough is flattened out.
Anonymous
New Hampshire
5/12/2004
I LOVE this recipe. While a bit labor-intensive, it's worth it. My only extra hint would be to make sure you seal each turnover well, because I had some seams come apart during baking which made the apricot filling ooze out and burn to the cookie sheet. Still tasty though!
Anonymous
New York, NY
12/11/2000
The author calls these "UN" because she says that rugelach means "rolled" and these are NOT rolled. However, when you read the recipe, it DOES call for rolling the dough, so I just don't get the whole thing! Actually, this recipe seems even more complicated and time-consuming than the typical rugelach recipe.
Nancy Kaye
Nantucket, MA
7/9/2000
