Rugelach anyone?

What could be better than raspberries and chocolate? Not much.

There's just something about that combo and this what makes this Rugelach special besides that it uses the same sour cream pastry dough as that strudel on the previous day's entry. (See Sept 11,2012 L'Dor v L'Dor 'Rolling in Dough')Basically crescent-shaped cookies that comes from the Yiddish word "rugel" (royal) and baked in Eastern European countries.

So first of all go back to the pastry sour cream pastry dough recipe and follow those steps making it a day ahead.

One cup butter, Two cups flour and a cup sour cream.

Depending on how big you want your Rugelach you can divide that dough into 6 pieces like the strudel or like me go for 8. Smaller, but has all the same flavor. WInk, wink.

For the filling you will need:

Mini morsel chocolate chips
Raspberry Preserves (NOT seedless)
Chopped nuts
Cinnamon

Roll out each ball into a thin circle . Take a good tablespoon of the Raspberry preserves and schmeer thinly with a spatula/finger technique stopping less than 2 inches from the outer edge.

Sprinkle on a small handful of chocolate chips and less nuts. Of course this is all preference. I just heavily pinch and sprinkle the cinnamon as I don't want the cinnamon to dominate the flavor.

Now comes the cutting of of the coveted dough. You are going to cut your circle in eights. So I first cut it in half, then fourths, and then diagonally across those fours - down their middles making eighths.

Roll each piece from the fat side towards the center. Now shape your roll into a crescent shape and place on baking/parchment paper covered cookie tray.

When you have finished the fourth dough ball, I preheat the oven to 350.
Why have it on the entire time, right?

You can tell if you have been too heavy handed on the filling because it will ooze out the sides/ puncture the dough... so just use less of whatever the next time.

Brush on egg glaze.

Place tray in oven and bake for 20 ish minutes until light brown.
Notice if crescent isn't tightly rolled/ 'u' shaped it will spread into log shape. No problem, it takes the same.:)

Remove let cool.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now it's your choice either to watch them disappear / put them in the freezer and save them for a special occasion- like the next time you want something special.