Ingredients
For the dough
4 Lb 8 Oz Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
4 Lb 8 Oz Bread Flour
4 Lb 8 Oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Lb Powdered Sugar
1 1/4 Oz Salt
1 1/2 Fl Oz Vanilla Extract
For finishing the pastries
American Almond Chocolate, Cinnamon or Almond Schmear® as needed
Chocolate Cake Crumbs as needed
Diced Walnuts as needed
Egg Wash as needed
Cinnamon Sugar as needed
Directions
For the Dough: Blend the butter with a few ounces of the flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle, just until it becomes pliable. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Blend until smooth without overmixing. Then blend in the remaining flour.
Bench rest the dough for 15 minutes. Flatten it then give it one 3-fold turn in a sheeter. Bench rest the dough for 30 minutes. Then give it one 4-fold turn in a sheeter. Refrigerate the dough for 24 hours before using.
To finish the Pastries: Sheet out the dough about ?-inch thick. Cut the dough into 18 x 12-inch rectangles. Working on one piece of dough at a time, spread it with American Almond Chocolate Schmear® filling. Sprinkle with chocolate cake crumbs and ground nuts.
Place a sheet of parchment on top of the coated dough and roll to compress the crumbs into the filling.
Starting from the longer side, cut the dough into 1-inch-wide strips.
To make each cookie, roll up a strip of dough tearing it off half way. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough.
Pack the portions of rolled dough with sides touching on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once the tray is full, compress lightly with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.
Refrigerate to relax the dough for 15 to 20 minutes.
Egg wash the portioned cookies then sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar
Transfer the individual portions of cookie dough onto parchment-lined sheet pans spaced 2 inches apart.
Bake at 370°F until the rugelach are cooked through, browned and crisp, approximately 35 minutes.
Finishing ideas
Almond or Cinnamon Schmear® can be used to make rugelach.
Formulation courtesy of American Almond