You know there are lots of ‘reasons’ to cook in my house.
Oh, it’s friday? I should clearly fry something. Day of the dead? Let’s KILL A COW!
Your birthday, my birthday, my cats’ birthdays, your second cousins husbands mom’s birthday. Anniversaries, holidays, pretty days and rainy ones.
There is always a reason. As you may have deduced, I live every day as if it’s a holiday.
This holiday?
I like to call it, Jewish bubby rolls over in her grave because you added pumpkin to a traditional rugelach day.
Good thing I don’t have a bubby. Shew.
Pumpkin Rugelach
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup pumpkin
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until evenly combined, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Reduce the speed to low. Add half the flour and mix just until incorporated, then repeat with the remaining half.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands well and gently knead to be sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pans with parchment paper.
Working with one disk of dough at a time, unwrap and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and roll out into a square. Using a small offset metal spatula, spread with about 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin, leaving a 2-inch-diameter space in the center of the dough, and a 1-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the pumpkin with the nuts, cinnamon and sugar. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Here’s to living every day like it’s a holiday!
Love,
Whit
