Four-Star Rugelach

Source: Flo Braker

Cottage Cheese Dough:
1 pint small-curd cottage cheese (4-percent milk fat)
2 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons strained apricot jam
1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped walnuts

Spoon the cheese into a sieve over a bowl; drain for at least 2 hours, mixing occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove 1 cup of the cheese for the dough; reserve the rest for another use.

To make the dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt just to combine. Scatter the butter over the flour; pulse on and off until the butter seems to disappear into the mixture. Scatter the cottage cheese, in bits, over the mixture; pulse on and off just until a cohesive ball is formed. Divide the dough into quarters; shape each into a flat disc and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Remove 1 dough disc from the refrigerator and set aside 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10- to 11-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick.

To make the filling: Spread 1 tablespoon jam evenly over dough; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and 1/4 cup walnuts. With rolling pin, lightly press filling into the dough.

With a sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal pie-shaped pieces. Starting with the wide end, roll up each piece; place 1 inch apart, point down, on the baking sheet. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Toward the end of baking, if some of the jam oozes out and cookies begin to brown too much on the bottoms, move them to clean spots on the baking sheet.

Continue to bake until done. Cool pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then, with a metal spatula, transfer cookies to the rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, using fresh aluminum foil. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Makes about 5 dozen (1 1/2-inch) cookies.