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Nutritional Info
Summary
Simmered dried apricots with a hint of vanilla are a perfect combination of tart and sweet. (We tested apricot jam in this filling, and it wasn't the same!) The mixture is slathered on rounds of cream-cheese dough, which is sliced into wedges and rolled into crescents before baking. The dough and filling can be made a couple of days in advance and refrigerated to make assembly easier (the dough disks wrapped in plastic, the filling in an airtight container).
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups dried apricots
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup shelled pistachios, preferably Sicilian
1 large egg, lightly whisked
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Dough: In the bowl of an
electric mixer, beat butter with
cream cheese, granulated sugar,
and salt on medium-high speed
until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add
flour and beat on low until just
combined. Divide dough into
3 disks; wrap each in plastic and
refrigerate until firm, at least
1 hour and up to overnight.
Filling: In a small saucepan,
bring apricots, 1 1/3 cups water,
granulated sugar, vanilla, and
salt to a boil. Reduce heat to
low; simmer until apricots are
tender and most of liquid has
been absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes.
Transfer apricot mixture to a
food processor and pulse until
smooth. Let cool completely.
(You should have about 2 cups
filling; if not, thin slightly with
water, a teaspoon at a time.)
Meanwhile, finely grind pistachios
in food processor. On a
lightly floured surface, roll out
one disk of dough to a 10-inch
circle, 1/8 inch thick. Spread
evenly with 2/3 cup apricot mixture.
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ground
pistachios. With a pizza wheel,
cut circle into quarters, then cut
each quarter in half, then in half
again, so you have 16 wedges.
Starting at outside edge of each
wedge, roll up into a crescent
shape. Arrange 1 inch apart on
a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush with beaten egg, and
sprinkle with sanding sugar and
1 tablespoon ground pistachios.
Refrigerate until firm, about
30 minutes. Repeat with remaining
dough.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake,
rotating sheets halfway through,
until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer rugelach on sheets
to wire racks; let cool completely.
Rugelach can be stored in
an airtight container at room
temperature up to 3 days.