TWD Baking with Julia - Rugelach

I was aware of the Tuesdays with Dorie group, that baked their way through Baking: From My Home to Yours for several years. They were always on my periphery, making delicious recipes at what seemed like a crazy pace. Then I missed the bloggers working their way through the Bread Baker's Apprentice, and would have liked to join in but it seemed beside the point to jump in partly through.  So when I heard that TWD was going to do another round, this time working with the book Baking with Julia, I knew I'd want to join.

Then I decided to start limiting my sugar consumption.  I thought maybe I wouldn't do this after all, but then saw that they would only do two recipes a week, and you only had to do one a month to be involved.  Well.  I can do that kind of pace.  And maybe a little taste, then HURRY UP GIVE THE REST AWAY.   Ahem.

This week's recipe is rugelach!  I had tried a rugelach recipe in the past, and tried making it chocolate, and just remember not liking it much.  It must have either been unlikable enough that I never blogged it, or BJB (Before Jenny Bakes), as it is not in my blog!  I was eager to redeem myself.


In Baking with Julia, it recommends that you use a homemade apricot or prune lekvar. As I'd made rugelach before, I wanted to have a bit more of a challenge, so I did make the lekvar from scratch.  It was easy, and much thicker and more substantial than a jar of jam would have been, more like a fruit butter.  I posted that I was making lekvar on my Facebook wall, and some people assumed I was making hamantaschen.  It turns out that Purim falls on Wednesday this week, but it did not happen to be on my radar since I'm not Jewish.  I often find this happens, that I accidentally make desserts appropriate for other people's religious holidays.  I always seem to make something creamy around February 2nd too (look that one up if you'd like, haha!).  I used one of those little scraps in the corner to make one hamantaschen, but I will wait to post that picture until Wednesday.


My rugelach was quite stuffed, so much that I barely got the end tucked under itself to roll it. Were I to make it again, and I might, since this was a light flaky pastry with many delicious flavors inside, I'd roll the dough thinner, or maybe try the crescent shape I've seen in other recipes.  First the prune lekvar was spread on the dough, then the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then raisins and walnuts.  I went very traditional with this recipe, since I like to do that before experimenting. 

One of the best parts of the TWD challenge is that everyone owns the cookbook.  Baking with Julia is a baker's staple, one of 3-4 I think every person interested in baking should own.  You can buy a copy here, and join in on the challenge over at TWD!