Cranberry Orange Rugelach

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 8 ounces cream cheese, diced
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• To Finish:
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar, then pulse 2 times to mix. Add the cream cheese and butter, and pulse in short bursts until the dough begins to clump but has not formed one solid ball, about 10 pulses. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it into a ball, and divide that ball into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries, walnuts, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and orange zest, then put the mixture aside. Spoon the preserves into a small bowl and microwave until warmed and loosened, about 30 seconds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Working on a clean, lightly floured surface, roll 1 piece of dough into a 9-inch circle. Brush the dough with the apricot jam, then scatter 1/4 of the cranberry mixture over the top. Slice the round into 12 even wedges. Starting from the wide edge, roll up each wedge and press gently so it holds together. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets with the points tucked underneath. Repeat the same process with the remaining dough pieces. Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator, brush them with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until they turn golden, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Once cooled, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.