With Hanukkah and Thanksgiving falling in the same week this year, a lot of food related activities are being planned in my house. Today, I made these traditionally Hanukkah-time pastries to get ready.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

I cut corners and used store-bought crescent roll dough, unrolled them from the can, and then stuffed them with the jam/sugar/nut combo as described in this recipe. This saved me a lot of time and effort and they still came out looking very festive. We each just had our first bites and they were absolutely mouth-watering. We both responded somewhat shockingly with something like, “oh wow, wow, these are reallllly good!” Sweet, flaky, and small enough not to let you indulge too much!

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

I am positive they won’t even last until after the first night of Hanukkah, they are that good, so I plan on making a second batch tomorrow. They only took about 10 minutes of hands-on time so why not! I highly recommend you trying these for dessert, breakfast, or just a snack. They store almost a week and are a great treat no matter for what holiday or day of the week you eat them. ENJOY! Here’s my rugelach:

Apricot and Walnut Rugelach ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Apricot and Walnut Rugelach

Recipe from: Real Simple Magazine, December 2013

Makes 24 cookies
Hands-On Time: 1hr
Total Time: 4hr

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
• 1/4  cup  granulated sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3/4  teaspoon  fine salt
• 3/4  cup  (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8  ounces cold cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract
• 3/4  cup  walnuts
• 1/2  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/2  cup  apricot jam
• 1  large egg, beaten

Directions
1. Pulse the flour, 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until a few pea-size clumps of butter remain. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and pulse just until the dough forms a ball.

2. Divide the dough in half and place on 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Shape into 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap and chill until completely firm, for 2 hours and up to 2 days.

3. SKIP TO THIS STEP if using Store-Bought crescent roll dough. Heat the oven to 350° F. Combine the walnuts, brown sugar, nutmeg, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl; set aside.

4. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll on a floured surface into a 13-inch round. Top with ¼ cup of the jam and sprinkle with half of the walnut mixture. Cut the round into 12 equal wedges, like pizza slices. Roll up each wedge, starting at the outer edge. Repeat with the remaining dough, jam, and walnut mixture.

5. Place the rugelach 1½ inches apart on 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. (Bake 12-14 minutes ONLY if using store-bought crescent roll dough). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Storage suggestion: Store the rugelach at room temperature, between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Tip: For an extra layer of flavor, sprinkle in a pinch of cinnamon to the sugar mixture before sprinkling the unbaked rugelach. Try these with any of your favorite jams, from raspberry to black currant.