Pumpkin Pecan Rugelach
This year is the first year in any of our lifetimes that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving have overlapped. These two family-food-fantastic Holidays will not overlap again any time soon!
Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are a match made in heaven! Seriously, both Holidays are centered around food (lets be totally honest here though, most Jewish Holidays are centered around food)! In addition to being centered around food, both holidays have a focus on family & togetherness. While eating food during a Thanksgiving or Hanukkah Celebration people are focused on spending time at home with the ones that you love.
Although Rugelach are not a “Hanukkah-Only” Food, they will be a classic addition to this year’s celebration. Instead of going with a traditional apricot filling, I figured a Pumpkin/Pecan filling would be the only logical filling for this years Hanukkah-Thanksgiving Celebration. I might be lying if I told you that I didn’t have to make more filling. The filling for these Rugelach is a mix of Pumpkin-Apple Butter & some Pumpkin Puree to up the Pumpkin ante. Throw in that Pecan flavor from your favorite Thanksgiving Classic Pecan Pie, and there is no way you can go wrong!
Rugelach are a Family Favorite. Every Family seems to have a classic family recipe, today I checked out a Food Network version to see how it holds up to our Family Recipe. As you spend time with you and yours this Holiday, whatever Holiday[s] it may be, I know that you need to enjoy these cookies!
- DOUGH
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2-cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- FILLING
- 1/2 cup [url href=”https://www.teacher-chef.com/2013/09/25/crock-pot-apple-pumpkin-butter/”]pumpkin butter[/url]
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp. cold water
- Turbinado or decorating sugar
- DOUGH:
- Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light.
- Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in half, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- FILLING
- Lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough to an 11-inch circle. Spread a thin layer of pumpkin butter (about 1/4 cup) over the pastry circle. Combine 1 Tbsp. sugar with 1Tbsp. brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half of this mixture over the pumpkin butter. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of the pecans over this mixture.
- Use a pastry wheel or a pizza cutter to cut the pastry circle into 16 wedges. Starting at the base of each wedge, roll up the wedge to form a crescent. Arrange crescents on parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure to tuck the points in the center of each crescent underneath to prevent the rugelach from unrolling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350. Brush refrigerated crescents with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 350 F for 22 to 27 minutes, until the pastries are puffed and golden brown. Let cool on rack.
Dough from The Barefoot Contessa of The Food Network and Filling from Sandy Smith of Simple Dish
Two Years Ago – Cream Cheese Filled Spiced Pumpkin Muffins, great for that morning-after-Thanksgiving!
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… What is a Once in a Lifetime experience for you?
