Rugelach are classic cookies from the Jewish culinary repertoire. The surprise ingredient in this version is cottage cheese (most rugelach is made with cream cheese). The cottage cheese makes for extra-tender, rich cookies. Makes 32
⅔ cup small-curd cottage cheese
⅔ cup plus 3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated stick margarine, room temperature
1⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten to blend with 2 tablespoons milk
Mix cottage cheese and ⅔ cup margarine in medium bowl. Stir in flour. Knead in bowl until dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap each in plastic and freeze until firm enough to roll out, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 3 tablespoons margarine, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla in processor. Blend until almost smooth paste forms.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 10-inchdiameter round. Spread half of brown sugar mixture evenly over. Cut round into 16 wedges. Starting at wide ends, roll up wedges to point to form cylinders. Bend ends in, forming crescents. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough disk and brown sugar mixture.
Brush egg mixture over crescents. Bake until light brown and baked through, about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
These festive chocolate sandwich cookies are first filled with peppermint buttercream, then the edges are rolled in crushed candy canes for a festive look. The cookies freeze well for up to two weeks. Makes about 1½ dozen
Cookies
1¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring
½ cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)
COOKIES: Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Chill dough 1 hour.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch-diameter round (edges will crack). Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are touched lightly with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
FILLING: Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired.
Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over bottom side of 1 cookie, spreading to edges. Top with another cookie, bottom side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.
Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling).
DO AHEAD: Can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks.Technique Tip: A Touch of GlassFlattening the cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass before baking them makes the edges of the dough crack slightly, forming a pretty, scalloped look.
These diamond-shaped cookies, called papassinos in Italy, are especially good with a cup of coffee. Spoon the glaze over the cookies while they are hot; when the glaze melts slightly from the heat, it will be easier to spread. The flavor of these cookies gets even better after a few days. Makes about 2½ dozenNonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup powdered sugar
8 teaspoons (about) whole milk, divided
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, cooled
½ cup walnut pieces, toasted, cooled
1¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon aniseed
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 large egg yolks
1 cup golden raisins
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.
Place powdered sugar in small bowl. Mix in enough milk by teaspoonfuls (about 5) to form thick, smooth glaze. Cover glaze; set aside. Combine almonds and walnuts in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until most nuts are reduced to ¼-inch pieces (some will be very finely ground).
Combine flour, butter, sugar, lemon peel, orange peel, aniseed, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat at low speed until fine meal forms. Add egg yolks and beat until clumps form. Add ground nuts and raisins. Beat until dough holds together, adding milk by teaspoonfuls (about 3) if dough is dry. Knead dough briefly in bowl to compact. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.
Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured surface to ¼- to ⅓-inch-thick rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip on diagonal into 1½- to 2-inch diamonds. Transfer diamonds to prepared baking sheet. Gather dough scraps and reserve. Repeat with remaining dough. Reroll scraps, cutting out more cookies, until all dough is used.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, about 17 minutes. Spoon generous ½ teaspoon glaze over each hot cookie and spread with back of spoon to coat. Let cookies stand on baking sheets until completely cool and glaze is set.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.
If you prefer thick cookies, roll the dough out to 3/8-inch thickness and bake the cookies a little longer. The number of cookies produced here depends on the thickness of the dough and the size of the cookie cutters. Makes about 3 dozen