Homemade Rugelach

I am always up for something new when it comes to the Holiday Cooking.
Usually it is a new holiday sweet. This is one of the more recent faves, I made them at our Christmas Eve get together several years ago and they all but flew off the plate. I though I would share this relatively easy recipe for some of you to try this holiday season.
This is wonderful filled with the flavors of Christmas, but this is utterly awesome at the peak of your seasons with freshly made jams, jellies, preserves, and freshly collected nuts ;)
A little history on this delicious confection, The history of rugelach, much like babka, is that they were first brought to America by Eastern European immigrants and are popular during Jewish holidays. I will share Babka as well in this blog;) jUST IN A SEPERATE ENTRY ;)


RUGELACH
Prep Time: 1 hr min
Total Time: 9 hr 25 min
Makes: About 5 dozen cookies or 32 servings, 2 cookies each

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2-1/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Walnuts
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

DIRECTIONS


BEAT cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Divide dough into 4 portions; place each on sheet of plastic wrap. Pat each portion into 1-inch-thick circle, using floured hands. Wrap plastic wrap around each circle to enclose. Refrigerate overnight.
PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Cover baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. Mix walnuts, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 2 tsp. of the cinnamon; set aside. Roll each portion of dough to 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface, lifting dough occasionally to add more flour to work surface as necessary. Spread each circle evenly with 1 Tbsp. of the preserves.
SPRINKLE nut mixture over preserves. Cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting from wide side. Place, point sides down, on prepared baking sheets; shape into crescents. Sprinkle with combined remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 Tbsp. sugar.
BAKE 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets. Cool on wire rack.


Great Substitute
Substitute PLANTERS Pecans for the walnuts and/or apricot preserves for the raspberry preserves