Ruggelach (Not for Pets--Just for You)

Someone found me on Facebook and asked for this recipe that dates back to my cooking school days from the 1970’s. If she remembered it from so long ago, I figured it might be worth taking the time to get it down on the screen. (No, this isn’t for your dog, sorry, Mikey.)

 The proportions for this recipe are small so it can be made in a food processor. If you want a larger recipe or have a large food processor, repeat it or double it.  I don’t remember where this recipe came from. I think the basics were from my mother, but the use of the cinnamon and sugar in place of flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the board was my idea. (I guess I didn’t care about calories then and I don’t now. If you are going to eat ruggelach, eat fewer pieces, but make sure they are worth eating.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the Dough:

·        1 C all purpose flour

·        ¼ pound (1 stick) butter (unsalted)

·        ¼ C cottage cheese

Process in a food processor just until a ball of dough forms on the blades. Don’t over process or you’ll end up with dough that is too elastic and tough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Fillings:

1.  Golden raisins plumbed in apricot brandy and mixed with chopped nuts and cinnamon and sugar.

2.  Apricot or strawberry preserves mixed with flaked, dried coconut and chopped nuts.

Cut the dough into 2 or 3 pieces and roll each into a circle on a board sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, cut it into wedges like a pizza, spread one of the fillings to within ½ inch of the edge, roll each wedge from the perimeter to the center of the circle and place on a buttered baking sheet, point down. Brush with butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

 Because there is sugar covering the baking sheets, there is potential for the sugar burning, so watch the ruggelach carefully. Burnt ruggelach are very disappointing.

Alternatively, you can roll the dough into a rectangle and use the strawberry filling to make mock strudel. Roll the strudel like a jellyroll, brush it with butter, score it, and bake it for about 30 minutes.