Eggnog Fudge Rugelach
I wanted to come up with a Holiday Cookie that people craved. Determined to channel the sweet tooths of the collective Bake-o-sphere, I immersed myself in the Instaglam Holiday Cookie Scroll. During which I entertained visions of precisely cut sugar cookies decorated with vivid intricacy. Found myself attracted to quite a few gingerbread people all snapping with style and sass. It may take me a while to switch out the voluptuous piles of gooey Cookie Bars from my mind’s screensaver.
Whenever I happened upon a Rugelach release, I was filled with joy and recognition. I recalled my foray into Rugelach for a menu in my cookbook “Get Cooking!” Rugelach are a Jewish Bakery classic. The dough utilizes a block of cream cheese and two sticks of buttah and the result is a cross between a cookie and a scone. This rich and tender crust is a very hospitable environment to chocolate, nuts, and other sweet delicacies.
I knew what I had to do to give my plump Jewish cookie a Christmas flavor makeover for the Instaglam Cookie Swap. White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge provides sweet texture, semi sweet mini chips the de riguer hit of dark chocolate, and toasty chopped walnuts to bring it back down to earth. Falalalala! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cream or eggnog (optional)
filling:
1 cup white baking chips
1/3 cup egg nog (or heavy cream)
1/2 tsp. rum extract (optional)
1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 mini semi sweet chips
In a large bowl beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla.
Gradually mix in flour and salt. Not gonna lie the dough will be sticky, as you collect it together in a ball, if necessary you can add egg nog or heavy cream to make handling easier.
Divide the dough ball into two parts, wrap each piece in plastic and then fashion into a disc shape.
Refrigerated until firm, at least one hour.
Make Eggnog Fudge/ganache: Place white chips in a small bowl. Pour eggnog and rum extract into a saucepan and heat until it bubbles around edges... Pour eggnog over white baking chips and let stand for a few minutes, then with a spoon mix until smooth and thick. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F. Remove dough from fridge and let it come to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes)
On a floured surface roll out dough disk into a circle the size of a dinner plate.
Leaving a 1” border around the edges, spread the eggnog fudge across the surface, and then sprinkle evenly with nutmeg, toasted chopped walnuts and mini chocolate chips.
With a pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 8-10 wedges. Roll up each section from the wide end toward the pint, sealing the rugelach with a pinch. Bend to form crescents.
Bake on parchment-lined sheets for 20-22 minutes, or until your preferred level of goldenness.
Recipe yields 18-24 rugelach
