Enjoy another festive holiday dessert with this Hanukkah pastry

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

Christmas isn’t the only holiday that happens in December — Hanukkah takes place just before Christmas, and lasts eight days. Here’s a Jewish pastry recipe that can be made during this holiday.

 

NUTELLA RUGELACH

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes

Yields: 48

For the dough:

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of coarse salt

2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough

For the filling:

4 ounces walnuts 

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

12 oz nutella (jam or chocolate chips can be substituted)

For finishing:

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

 

Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Remove from bowl, and divide into three pieces on a lightly floured surface. Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to overnight.

Make the filling: In a food processor, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse until fine.

Preheat the oven to 350 F°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than ⅛ inch thick. Spread evenly with nutella (it may help to have the nutella a bit melted so it doesn’t tear the dough while spreading). Sprinkle with ⅓  of the walnut mixture. Gently press ingredients into dough with your fingers.

Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges (triangle shaped like pizza slices). Beginning at the base of each wedge, roll to enclose filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes.

Recipe from eatingbirdfood.com

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu