Chocolate Cherry Walnut Rugelach Recipe with Chef Gail Sokol. Step by step baking tutorial.

A rich cream cheese dough is made and filled with ganache, dried cherries and walnuts to create a flaky, spiraled cookie.

Chocolate Cherry Walnut Rugalach
Ingredients
Dough
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries coarsely chopped
1 1/3 cups walnuts toasted and finely chopped
Confectioners’ sugar for rolling optional
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the semisweet chocolate chips. Cool until slightly thickened. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and the butter until they are thoroughly blended.
On low speed, add the flour.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and shape it into a rough rectangle.
Chill the dough until it becomes firm, about 8 hours and up to 3 days. Note: to speed this process along, the dough can be placed in the freezer for approximately 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a dough cutter, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, re-wrap the remaining three pieces and keep them refrigerated until needed.
Using a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Using two offset spatulas transfer the rectangle to a sheet pan covered with wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator.
Roll out the remaining 3 pieces of dough in the same manner placing each one on top of the original with pieces of wax paper in between each rectangle.
Take the wax paper with the first rectangle of dough and place it on a work surface. Cover the remaining rectangles with plastic wrap and chill.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1/4 cup of the chocolate and cream mixture evenly over the rectangle.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cherries and 1/3 cup of the walnuts evenly over the chocolate.
Press down gently on the cherries and nuts so they stick into the chocolate.
Bring the reserved parchment covered sheet pans nearby the work surface. Using the wax paper as a guide, tightly roll the dough into a cylinder rolling with the largest end of the dough closest to you.
Place the cylinder towards one side of one of the sheet pans.
Optional: Using a sharp knife or a dough cutter, make cuts (not all the way through the dough) at 1-inch intervals along the log.
Repeat filling and rolling the remaining rectangles of dough (steps 11-16) and place them onto the sheet pans leaving a space between the cylinders. There should be two logs per sheet pan.
Bake the rugalach for approximately 45-50 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Cool the rugalach until they are room temperature. Using spatulas, transfer the cylinders to a cutting board and cut into ½ inch thick slices until individual cookies are formed.
Roll each rugalach in confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Notes
Makes approximately 3 1/2- 4 dozen rugalach