Chocolate Rugelach

How to prepare chocolate rugelach

1. Put the flour and salt in the food processor. Add the cold butter cut into cubes. Mix briefly (2-3 pulses) just until it looks like breadcrumbs (it's OK if larger pieces of butter remain in the flour, about pea-sized).
2. Add the cream cheese by spoonfuls over the "breadcrumbs". Mix briefly again (5-6 pulses), just until it looks like moist breadcrumbs - meaning the dough isn't fully bound together yet (see photo 3).
3. Turn the dough out onto your work surface (or into a wide bowl) and press it together with your hands. Divide it into 4 equal pieces (about 150 g per portion). Flatten into discs and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, maximum 3 days.
4. For the filling, finely grate the chocolate (or chop it in a food processor) and mix with sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Separately, melt the butter.
5. Take each piece and on a work surface covered with parchment paper and sprinkled with a little flour, roll out a thin sheet about 22-23 cm in diameter. Try to make the sheet as round as possible.
6. When the sheet is rolled out, sprinkle very little flour on it. Fold it in half and with a pastry cutter, trim the irregular edges to get a semicircle (see photo 7). Unfold the semicircle and you'll now have a nice circle.
8. Brush the sheet with a little melted butter. Sprinkle with the chocolate mixture in a thin but even layer (about 3 tablespoons per sheet). Lightly press the filling with your palm.
9. With a pastry wheel, cut the sheet into 16 equal pieces (like pizza slices; first into 4 pieces, then each piece in half, then in half again).
10. At the wide end of each slice, make a small cut in the center (see photo 10). Start rolling the dough from that side, pushing the cut parts outward as you go (see photo 11). Roll all the way to the tip. If some filling falls out, that's OK.
11. Place the rolls on a baking sheet, making sure the rolled edge is on the bottom. All rolls will fit on 2 baking sheets. Put the pans in the refrigerator while the oven heats up. Don't skip this step - let them chill for at least 15 minutes, they'll hold their shape better during baking.
    * The formed rolls can be kept in the refrigerator longer before baking;
    ** The rolls can be frozen and kept for 3 months; bake directly from frozen, just add a few minutes to the baking time
12. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the rolls for approximately 25 minutes (they should be just lightly golden on top; don't leave them pale, but don't let them brown too much either; see main photo). If you like, grate a little chocolate over the rolls immediately after removing the pan from the oven. Those drops will melt and stick to the rolls.
14. They're good warm or cold.

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