Chocolate Rugelach

As per new found tradition, a few Sundays ago, someone suggested I make Chocolate Rugelach (that is pronounced like Arugula (but with a guttural 'ach' and an R)). If you have not heard of this, I had not either, it is a Jewish pastry cookie.. that is a. maze. ing. I really liked these.. possibly a new favorite cookie. (but I always say that ;)

To give credit, where credit is due, I based it off of this recipe here.

Chocolate Rugelach

Dough:
1 cup unsalted Butter
1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour

Filling:
6-8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Approx: 4-6 dozen cookies (depending on size)
Approx Prep: 1 hr
Approx Cooking time: 30 mins if you can get it all on one pan (or two)

To start: be sure your butter and cream cheese are soft. For me this means taking it out of the fridge, and throwing it in the microwave for a little bit on low power, just until it starts to bend over (you don't want completely melted... just soft), same with the cream cheese. You can do this by hand, but it is way easier in a mixer.

Mix butter, cream cheese, sugars, and salt until completely mixed. Once a nice consistency is reached, add vanilla. Then add flour.

Take dough out on to floured surface, massage a little, then tightly pack it all together in to a ball, wrap in plastic wrap. Throw it in the fridge.

While this is chilling, prepare the filling. I didn't really have anything other than a knife to do this, but I guess a food processor might work... You need to chop (or shave) the chocolate in to small pieces, nothing bigger than a BB. Use everything you get from chopping, including the chocolate dust, mix with sugars and cocoa powder. Mix this well.

Wait for the dough to chill at least 30 mins, if not longer.

On a floured surface, roll out 1/4 of the dough. You are aiming for a rectangle. If you are trying to make smaller cookies, make this very long and narrow (no smaller than 2 inches), if you want bigger cookies (you could even get away with a roll type cookie) go for 5 or 6 inches. I stuck with the suggested 4, and it turned out great. Trim your dough, so you have a nice rectangle.

Spread 1/4 of the filling in to the center of your strip (long ways), you should have a long line of filling, running the length of the rectangle. Lightly press the filling in to the dough.

Roll the dough in to a long tube. Roll is sort of a hard word to describe.. I did more of a fold. Fold one side of the rectangle over the filling, then fold the other side overlapping. Either way you should now have a long tube-ish thing.

Slice your tube in inch segments. You are then going to have to transfer them to an lightly greased cookie tray. I went with a cut, then transfer method, using a fork to mitigate the spillage. As you try to pick up the slice, the filling will fall out. Try to keep this from happening... you want the most filling in the cookie as possible. The cookies do not change shape too much, so you can fit a lot on a pan, just be sure they don't touch.

Keep repeating this process until everything is cut and placed. In a small bowl, mix topping sugar and cinnamon. Liberally sprinkle over cookies.

Bake until golden. 20-25 minutes

Remove, cool, enjoy!