Rugelac

from the kitchen of a friend

8 oz/227g cream cheese
8 oz/227g unsalted butter
1.75oz/50g sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (less if using vanilla oil)
8 oz/228g bleached all purpose flour
pinch salt if desired

Cream the fats together, beat in the sugar, then the flour. Divide in four and refrigerate overnight in plastic wrap. This dough is devilish to handle but delicious to eat!

Prepare filling:
2.5oz/75g sugar (or less)
2 oz/54g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3.75oz/108g raisins, preferably golden raisins, sultanas
3.5oz/100g walnuts, coarsely chopped
4 oz/113 apricot preserves (jam), stirred up
Topping: Mix 2 tab sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

Take out one portion of dough and place on a lightly floured board. Flour rolling pin and roll out into a 1/8" thick circle about 9 inches across. Rotate dough as you roll to prevent sticking. keep flour handy. Spread circle with 2 tsp of apricot jam, smoothing out with back of spoon. Sprinkle about 1/2c of the raisin/walnut mixture over. Press firmly and evenly into dough, and cut circle into 12 wedges. Roll up each triangle from the outside in, to make croissant shapes. Slip a sharp knife under the dough if needed to loosen as you roll. Puton baking sheet (baking paper is good here!), point down to prevent unrolling. Cover with wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Clean away split filling and repeat with remaining dough. I bet you could freeze these guys at this point and bake later.

To bake, brush rolls with milk and sprinkle with topping. bake 16-18 minutes, until evenly browned in 350 deg F oven. Can be frozen after baking.