The Reckless Cook: The First Night of Rugelach

Thank god I decided to make them tonight for several reasons, mainly being I totally forgot the dough needed to chill for at least 8 hours. Note to self: read your recipe before 9pm at night, even though you know you have all the ingredients. I mixed a few of the filling ingredients so they are ready for tomorrow. Oh well, lesson learned, at least for a few months.

I associate much cooking, especially baking, with my mother, which is part of why I love it so much. We always used to bake together since I could hold a spoon and a cookie cutter. The first time I made rugelach, I made them with her for a friend's bat mitzvah. So it's not surprising I hear her in my head. "Clean up as you go, you know I won a Girl Scout badge in that." I did...mostly. But I'm in my own kitchen, alone, so who cares right? Wrong. That little nagging voice in my head cares, a lot. That and "they make the tools for a reason." Should have used the stand mixer. Would have saved a lot of mixing pain. Oh well, at least I burned off some of the calories I am going to ingest with these cookies.

The dough is good. I think. It's really crumbly. Not dry, just crumbly. We'll see how the fat free cream cheese fairs in the dough. Also the first time I used King Arthur flour with this particular cookie. So my dough is chillin' next to the Greek yogurt in my fridge, safely swaddled in saran wrap from all the dangers of the world.

So I have a late night tomorrow. Though, if I have to stay up later for something, late night baking is it.

Tale a look!