RUGELACH

For the filling:

• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Other:

• 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for glazing
• Sugar, for sprinkling

To make the dough, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until soft. Add the flour and mix until a dough is formed. Divide into 2 equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk; wrap in waxed paper and chill at least 60 minutes or overnight.

To make the filling, place the nuts and 1/2 cup sugar in a processor. Pulse until finely chopped, but not ground. Place in a small bowl and add the cinnamon.

To make the cookies, preheat oven to 350° F. Roll one piece dough into a round of about 11 inches. Invert a 10-inch plate or other cutting guide on top of dough. Cut around the plate with a knife. Brush the surface of the dough circle with some of the egg white glaze. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, then half of the filling. Press down lightly to help the nuts to stick to the dough. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into quarters, then each quarter into quarters again, to form 16 triangles. Starting at the wide end or base of the triangle, roll up to form spirals. Place about 1-inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with some of the egg glaze, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Store cooled cookies in an air-tight container.

Note: I formed the excess dough into small circles with my hands and made extra cookies from that.