Chocolate & Hazelnut Rugelach

I have been checking out rugelach, a Jewish cookie, for a while  These cookies are rolled up pastry, in a shape similar to a croissant, with a filling.  The fillings vary enormously, almost anything seems to be used,  but most often with layer of jam and chopped nuts. For mine I decided to go with Chocolate Hazelnut spread with chopped hazelnuts.

The dough is made with cream cheese and butter, and should have a flaky texture when baked.  To make mine a little more flaky I rolled mine twice, folding as you would for puff pastry the first time.  That gave me three layers.  That step is not entirely necessary, I am sure the resultant cookies would still be great.

They take a while to make, as the dough has to be chilled before rolling, and I chilled mine again as I heated the oven. I also used some sugar in my pastry dough but again this is not obligatory.

The resultant cookies are very good indeed.  The pastry is delicious and the filling, as you might imagine, was wonderful.  These are a very moreish cookie.  I will have to try with different fillings.

Ingredients:

• 227g(2 sticks) butter, softened
• 227g(8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
• 50g(1/4 cup) caster sugar(granulated is ok)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 290g(2 1/4 cups) plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 250g(1 cup) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread(may not need so much)
• 110g(almost 1 cup) Chopped hazelnuts may not need so much)
• 1 beaten egg

Method:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer(can be done by hand too) place the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract and beat with the paddle attachment until all is combined and nice and fluffy.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and salt together and add into the cream cheese mixture.
3. Beat until it just all comes together.  The mixture will be sticky.
4. Tip out onto some plastic wrap and form into  an oblong shape about 1 1/2 inches thick.
5. Chill for one hour.
6. Roll out the dough into an oblong about 12 inches(30 cm) by 8 inches(20 cm).
7. Fold one third of the dough over onto the middle third of the dough.
8. Fold the other third of the dough onto the folded dough.  That has created three layers, to help make the pastry more flaky.
9. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
10. Cut the dough into three equal sized pieces.
11. Work with one piece, chilling the others again, and roll out to about 1/4 inch(3 cm) thickness.
12. Cut out a circle between 9 and 10 inches in diameter (23cm by 25cm), using something like a plate as a guide.
13. Set the off cuts aside.
14. Spread a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread over the rolled out dough, a margin around the edge of about 1/2 inch. Don’t spread too thick, but enough to give a good taste.
15. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the spread.
16. Cut the circle of dough into three equal sized triangles.
17. Cut each triangle into two or three equal sized triangles(you will then have 8 or 12 triangles).
18. Gently move the triangles apart for rolling and, starting at the wide margin left free of spread, roll the dough up similar to a croissant(but don’t curl into a crescent after rolling).
19. Place on a parchment lined baking tray, leaving a decent space between each.
20. Repeat until all dough has been used, including the off cuts.
21. Chill in the fridge again while you preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
22. Brush the top of each rugelach with beaten egg.
23. Sprinkle over a little sugar if desired.
24. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the dough has browned nicely.
25. Removed from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.