Chocolate, Almond & Walnut Rugelach

Dough Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter; room temperature

• 8 oz of cream cheese (full fat); room temperature

• 1/4 cup of white sugar

• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp of salt

• 2 cup s of AP flour

• 1 egg; beaten (for egg wash)

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of walnuts

• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds

• 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp of almond extract

• 2 tsp of brown sugar

• 1 tsp cocoa powder

Optional topping: coarse sugar

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in the sugar, salt and vanilla extract and beat again. Pour in the flour and mix until the dough just about comes together. You don’t want to over mix the dough.

Split the dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours. You can also make this dough the night before you want the rugelach and leave the dough in the refrigerator over night.

While your dough is chilling, make your filling. In a pan, lightly toast your walnuts and almonds. You don’t want them to get golden brown, but just to become fragrant (about 5-6 minutes). Set the nuts aside to cool. Once your nuts are cool, place all of the filling ingredients together in a food processor. Blend until you have a chocolate-y nutty paste.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly (very lightly) flour a clean surface and roll out on of your chilled dough balls into a circle. Spread your filling around your dough circle, leaving a slight border all around.

Using a pizza cutter, cut your circle (like you would a pizza) into 8 slices. Roll your slices inward, starting with the wider end to form a croissant-like shape.

Place the rugelach on the baking sheet and brush lightly with egg wash. Optional: sprinkle the rugelach with coarse sugar.

Bake for about 18- 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool on a wire rack.