Rugelach

Dough

1. Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

2. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as necessary. Reduce the speed and slowly mix in the flour, about 30 seconds.

3. Place dough on a floured working surface and form into a ball. Divide into two equal pieces.

4. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and press into two disks. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

Filling & Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and place the racks at the upper-middle and lower-middle positions.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon together; mix well and set aside.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. On each round, spread 1/4 cup of jam and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the walnuts and 1/4 cup of the raisins. Then, evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

5. Cut each round into 16 even wedges using a knife or pizza cutter. Beginning at the wide end, roll each wedge up into a cookie.

6. Place each cookie on the prepared baking sheet ensuring the pointed end is underneath the cookie. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the cookies and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar over the top.

8. Bake the cookies about 20 minutes, until they have slightly puffed and are a pale gold, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.

9. Transfer the hot cookies immediately to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.