Rosemary Fig Rugelach Makes 8 cookies INGREDIENTS Dough 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature ¼ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
Filling 8 ounces walnuts 2 tablespoons water ¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste 11-ounce jar of fig butter or fig jam
Topping 1 egg, whisked Turbinado sugar
Bellingham Alive's Additional Filling Ideas Sweet • Chocolate raspberry • Honey and walnut • Nutella and pecan • Peppermint white chocolate • Apricot and cinnamon • Orange and pine nut • Cherry almond Savory • Pumpkin and parmesan • Garlic, herb, and ricotta • Jalapeno and cheddar • Spinach and feta • Pear, blue cheese, and walnut • Cheddar and walnut
INSTRUCTIONS • Cream butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer until creamy. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix until creamy. • Gradually add flour and chopped rosemary and mix until just combined. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll into a ball. • Cut the ball in quarters and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. • While the dough is resting, make the caramelized walnuts and preheat the oven to 350°F. • Add walnuts to a dry pan over medium heat and roast the walnuts until fragrant, for about five minutes, gently tossing a few times. • Whisk the water, brown sugar, and vanilla together and pour over the walnuts, tossing to evenly coat the nuts. Continue cooking for another 30 seconds, and turn off heat and chop walnuts once they're cool. • Roll out a ball of dough to nine inches in diameter, trimming edges to make a circle. Spread two tablespoons of fig butter evenly on the dough as well as 1–2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts. Repeat with the rest of the dough. • Cut the circle into eight little triangles (like a pizza). Roll each triangle from the outside-in, making a crescent shape. • Place rolled-up rugelach on a lined cookie sheet, end-side down. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. • Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown. • Allow to cool before serving.
November/December 2020