Chocolate Rugelach for Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, starts Sunday night, so I thought I'd get a headstart on chocolate recipes. First up: Chocolate Rugelach. I adore Rugelach, and I must admit, I usually buy them at the bakery, but sometimes you just want to make your own. Rugelach are made with a cream-cheese dough that is wrapped around a filling. Sometimes the filling is nuts or jam, but, of course, for me it's always chocolate!

This recipe for Chocolate Rugelach is adapted from Giora Shimoni on Kosherfood.com.  She calls them Israeli Chocolate Rugelach, because she says Americans tend to fill their chocolate rugelach with mini-chocolate chips, while Israelis make their own filling. Since I always have chocolate around,  I make my own filling. This is a go-to recipe. It's easy. Be sure to scroll down for Giora's tips on rugelach making. Even if you're not celebrating Rosh Hashana, you'll love these pastries for breakfast or brunch or with morning coffee. Yum!

CHOCOLATE RUGELACH 

DOUGH:
7 ounces sweet butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

CHOCOLATE FILLING
1 Tbsp DARK cocoa
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup grated bitter-sweet chocolate  (65-85% cacoa)
butter, melted

TOPPING
1 egg
1/8 cup sugar  (if you don't add cinnamon, use 1/4 cup sugar)
1/8 cup cinnamon (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Add flour and mix lightly. Refrigerate dough for an hour or more.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Divide dough into four balls. On floured surface, using floured rolling pin, roll one ball out into circle until about 1/8 inch thick.
4. In small bowl, mix first four filling ingredients together (cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, grated chocolate). Spread some melted butter on center of the circle. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture on top.
5. Cut pastry into pie-shaped wedges. For bite-size and nice looking rugelach,  thick end of wedge should be about 1 to 1-1/2 inch wide.
6. Start at wide edge of wedge and roll dough up toward point.
7. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place each pastry, seam side down, on paper.
8. Brush each pastry with egg and sugar/cinnamon.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
  
And here are some great tips from Gloria for making perfect rugelach.

TIPS:
1. Using too much filling leads to messy looking rugelach.
2. A pizza cutter makes it easier to cut the dough into pie-shaped wedges.
3. If you don't want to use parchment paper, you can spray the cookie sheets with non-stick spray.
4. After rolling dough up and placing on parchment paper, you can stick them in your freezer. When you need fresh rugelach, take them right from the freezer into the oven and add a few minutes to the baking time.