Cinnamon-Sugar Rugelach

There are lots of rugelach recipes out there and I am sure many are good, but this is my personal favorite. A former coworker at a job I had for many years always made these for our year-end work party, and once I told her how much my husband and I liked them she would save extra ones just for us, which was really sweet. We made these once for a holiday baking day at my insistence and Caroline realized these are the same kind of holiday cookies she remembered her grandmother would make, but she never knew the name of and never got a recipe for before she passed away. It feels good to have reintroduced them into her life.

Notes:

• Use the highest quality cinnamon you have since it really shines here. I am partial to Penzey's Vietnamese Cinnamon.
• I have great luck using a plastic pull-apart pizza cutter to cut the rolled out dough.
• I can usually fit 24 of these on a single sheet pan.
• The last step of brushing more melted butter on the finished cookies is 100% unnecessary, but very delicious.
• The cinnamon sugar kind are my favorite, but I have also tried filling these with a number of other things. Omit the cinnamon sugar and walnuts, and try a fruit flavored jam or chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) instead for a variation. Warm it slightly in the microwave so that it spreads over the dough more easily. For a more intense fruit flavor, you could use dried fruit.

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RECIPE:

Cinnamon-Sugar Rugelach
from my coworker Anne; makes 48 (4 dozen)

Pastry:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Stir in flour and salt. Divide into 4 equal size discs. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll (~1-2 hours minimum).

Filling:
Cinnamon sugar: 2/3 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon (you will have extra)
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out each pastry patty to 10" diameter. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle the dough with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and 1 tablespoon walnuts. Using a pizza cutter, divide each circle into 12 wedges and roll up from wide end to narrow end; shape into crescent and pinch ends closed. Bake for 25 minutes, or until turning golden brown. When cool enough to handle, brush with remaining melted butter and roll in leftover cinnamon sugar.