Rugelach

I did it  again - I hijacked another kitchen just to get some quality baking time in this month.  😅 It's like I have a quota of baking hours that I need to fulfill just to keep myself in good baking shape. 🤣 I'm pretty sure that I wont forget HOW to bake a cake in 5 weeks - but I still have an unexplainable desire to keep my baking skills sharp - despite the fact that my kitchen is currently in a state of disrepair.   🤷🏻‍♀️
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This week, I visited my son and daughter-in-law in Ohio and they very graciously allowed me to take over their kitchen for an afternoon.  Technically, I don't think I ever asked if I could use their kitchen, BUT I showed up with groceries and offered to bake them cookies while they were at work.  🍪🤷🏻‍♀️Who could turn down that offer?  

Not only did I confiscate their kitchen space - I also made the two of them guinea pigs for a new recipe that I've been wanting to try.  Luckily - they're great sports and willing to at least try my new baking experiments.  My son is no stranger to test recipes and my daughter-in-law has been a part of our family long enough now, that she's learned to expect a practice recipe from time to time.  I can always count on my family to act as my test subjects and give me honest feedback - even when I don't want to hear it.   🙉

This recipe for Rugelach has been in my blog cue for over a year.  For some reason, I've always categorized these as a Christmas cookie.  Probably because I ate one, one time, at a Christmas party. 😂🎄 One day this Fall, the kids sent me a picture of some rugelah cookies that they had gotten from a pastry shop in Cleveland.   Up until then, It had never even occurred to me that I could make the rugelach recipe at other times of the year.  I'm pretty sure that there's some sort of Christmas cookie code that's broken if you make a "Christmas cookie" before Thanksgiving.  😆 So at the risk of getting caught by the Christmas cookie police - I've decided to go ahead and make what may or may not be considered a holiday cookie.   😬

Rugelach
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cream cheese
10 Tablespoons butter, chilled
1/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup nutella
1 egg
1 Tablespoon raw sugar

Process flour, sugar and salt in food processor for 5 seconds. 

Add cream cheese and pulse 5 times.

Add butter and pulse until the dough is the size of large peas.  

Add sour cream and pulse 10 seconds.

Transfer dough to counter and divide in half.  Form each half into a 4" disk.

Wrap disks individually and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.  

Roll each disk into a 12" circle. 

Spread 1/3 cup Nutella over each circle.

Cut into 16 wedges. 

Roll up each triangle, starting at wide edge.  Place on baking sheet.

Beat egg with 1 T. water.  

Brush tops of cookies with egg wash.  

Bake 30-35 minutes at 375.

Thank you so much to my most gracious hosts for letting me take over their kitchen.  And I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to this curious canine - who stood by my side through the entire process.  😅

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe