Raspberry and poppy seed rugelach (mini pastries)
“One of Judaism’s gifts to the culinary world (alongside schmaltz and pickled herring, of course) are these ‘little horns’ – super-cute filled shortbreads – although which animal’s horns they’re meant to be is beyond me. Let’s say it’s in reference to the temptation to ‘ram’ these in your mouth! The inspo for this particular pastry’s pathway to shortness comes courtesy of Canada’s godmother of Jewish cookery, Bonnie Stern, who goes half-n-half with butter and cream cheese – a bit like a Yiddish Maggie Beer sour cream shortcrust situation. Stern prepared me a little rugelach care pack as a farewell from Canada, and they didn’t even make it onto the plane! Fill yours with whatever you like – from apricot jam to bitter chocolate, or even cheese and Tumami (tomato and black garlic spread).” – Alice Zaslavsky
Ingredients (13)
- 1 egg, at room temperature, lightly whisked
- 1 tbs raw sugar
Pastry
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 250g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 250g chilled cream cheese, cut into cubes
Wet filling
- 1/2 cup (160g) raspberry conserve
- 1/2 cup (80g) poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup (60g) soft brown sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
- 1 tbs orange juice
Dry topping
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1/2 cup (70g) pecans
- 1/4 cup (60g) soft brown sugar
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.For the pastry, place flour, butter, cream cheese and 1/4 tsp salt flakes in a food processor. Pulse until mixture looks like chunky sand, then comes together to form a sticky dough. Using lightly floured hands, place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently bring together. Cut into equal quarters and shape each into a round disc. Enclose in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
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2.In the meantime, make the wet filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined, then leave to chill in the fridge with the dough, to help hydrate the poppy seeds. To make the dry topping, squeeze out cardamom seeds into a mortar and pestle and grind until a fine powder, then add brown sugar and pecans and crush and grind to a sandy consistency (you can also use a small food processor to do this).
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3.Set aside until ready to use. When ready to assemble, line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Take the dough and the wet filling out of the fridge. Leave on the bench for 15 minutes so the dough is easier to work with.
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4.Scatter a little extra flour over the dough and a clean work surface, and roll each piece of pastry (one at a time) out to a rough 22cm circle, about 5mm thick (don’t worry if your circles are not perfect, but if you would like them to be, use a similar-sized plate to trim the edges.)
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5.Now, divide the filling into quarters and, using a spatula, spread filling thinly over each dough circle, stopping short of the outside edges. Scatter over one-quarter of the dry topping, then cut the speckled dough into 16 wedges, as you would a pizza. Roll up each piece tightly, starting from the outside edge inwards, finishing with the inside tip on the outside, like a croissant. Transfer to prepared trays, tip-side down. Brush with whisked egg and sprinkle with raw sugar. Transfer to prepared baking trays. Chill for 1 hour in the fridge.
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6.Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Bake rugelach for 30-40 minutes, switching trays halfway through, until cooked and golden. Cool rugelach on a rack. These are best served warm, but will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
You can also prepare these ahead of time. Once rugelach are rolled, place on a tray in the freezer, and once frozen, transfer to an airtight container. When ready to bake, follow baking instructions, adding an extra 5-10 minutes to cooking time. These can also be frozen after they’ve been baked and cooled – they’re perfect straight out of the freezer. Leave to thaw for 15-20 minutes, then serve.
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