(by Laura Davis)
For the dough:
4 c. + 1 T. sifted white flour (don’t ask me why; it’s how my mother did it, so it’s how I do it)
1/2 lb. butter at room temperature
3 T. sour cream
1 t. vanilla extract
1 package of yeast dissolved in 1/4 c. warm (not hot) water
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
For the filling:
My mother used Lekvar prune butter, but they don’t sell that in California where I live, maybe not anywhere anymore. I often use marmalade or jam or jelly, but it’s best for it to be smooth, not with pieces of fruit. My daughter loved me to make a batch with Nutella, but it’s hard to spread.
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts.
cinnamon and sugar
The day before baking, mix flour and butter with a pastry blender or two knives until pea shape.
Add sour cream, vanilla extract, dissolved yeast, egg, and egg yolks.
Knead until batter is smooth and yellow.
Cut dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball.
Wrap each ball separately in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove one ball of dough at a time from the refrigerator, and roll out on a lightly floured surface, rolling as thin as possible without tearing.
Add a little flour to the surface to roll each ball of dough, but not too much or the dough will get tough.
Spread an extremely thin layer of jam all the way to the edge of each circle.
Sprinkle a thin layer of walnuts over jam.
With a sharp knife, cut each circle in half and then in half again and again until you have 16 long triangles of dough in a circle.
Roll each triangle up from the outer edge of the circle to the center, making tightly wrapped spirals.
Fill a large, flat bowl with sugar and cinnamon.
Dip each spiral in the cinnamon and sugar.
Place on greased cookie sheets with a little distance between them.
Bake for 1/2 hour or until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown.
Cool on a rack.
Store in an airtight container.
(Read How to Bake Rugelach With Mom, the story that accompanies this recipe.)
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