On the 9th of Holiday Cookies Glamah made for me Rugelach! Can I just say I adore this classic Jewish cookie. I made it once years ago from a recipe in The Book Of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden. The cream cheese dough is easy to fall in love with.I also made a non traditional version with some chocolate thrown in with the preserves and nuts back then. Rugelach are essentially a cream cheese based cookie dough rolled up with apricot or raspberry jam,walnuts, and raisins. The recipe from Gourmet actually is a heirloom recipe from an food editor and was published in May 2004. It differs because the Rugelach is rolled, scored, and baked as a whole log, rather than sliced before baking. You slice the cookie afterwards. It makes a moister cookie and not as crispy as other I have had. I took baking artistic license. Now traditionalists will get up in arms, but its my cookie. I used the traditional recipe of Apricot preserves, raisins, walnuts, etc. I also made a raspberry, chocolate, walnut version, and played around with rose preserves and chocolate!Be careful with the thin rose preserves as they flow out of the seams when baking.It was almost a disaster but the result was a nice twist from traditional holiday flavors which can get cloying after a while. My intent was to create a pretty tray for a party later that evening. It amazes me what a favorite Rugelach is to all cultures! This cookie went over very well. Even Certain Someone who was unfamiliar with the cookie before, said mine was better than one he tried the next day at work( which was purchased). Go figure!

Be sure to visit my other baking friends and see what they chose to bake for the holidays from Gourmet.com.