Come Party With Me: Latke Party - Dessert

partysugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:47 -0800

Rugelach is a traditional Jewish pastry made with a cream cheese dough. It's the perfect sweet finish to a latke happy hour Hanukkah party. The entire menu is finger food including the dessert! These cookies can be made in advance, so get started on the baking the day before the event. As a favor give everyone a small bag of chocolate gelt. To look at the classic rugelach recipe, read more.

Rugelach
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup apricot preserves or raspberry jam
1 cup loosely packed golden raisins, chopped
1 1/4 cups walnuts (1/4 lb), finely chopped
Milk for brushing cookies

Directions

Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 1- to 1 1/2-inch-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12- by 8-inch rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a tray and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.
Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread 1/4 cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 cup raisins and a rounded 1/4 cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar.
Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in same manner and arrange 1 inch apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make 3/4-inch-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1-inch intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, chill until firmer, 20 to 30 minutes.)
Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.

Makes about 44 cookies.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Hanukkah Dinner

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 01:12:51 -0800

My favorite meal of the day is dinner. To celebrate Hanukkah let's plan an intimate holiday dinner for you, your sweetheart, and your best-loved couple friends. You can drink Kosher beer and play a dreidel gambling game. For the 411 on planning this little shin-dig read more.

Invites: Since this is a dinner party with only three special guests, personally call each guest the day before the dinner to inform them that you would like to dine together. Even calling your significant other is a must because it lets him know that your dinner is going to be extra special.

Menu: Start by setting out a plate of mini latkes with creme fraiche, smoked salmon and cavier. For the main course dish out a warming brisket with carrots and onions with a side arugula salad with oranges, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. For dessert give each guest a small bag of gelt (chocolate coins) to eat with their rugelach.

Decorations: I think blue and silver when I hear Hanukkah dinner so set the table with a beautiful blue satin table cloth, large white plates, and silver napkins tied with blue ribbon. Take out the good china and set the table with water and wine glasses. If you have access to a menorah incorporate it into your centerpiece. Dim the lights and lite lots of candles as Hanukkah is the celebration of lights. Fill clear glass vases with blue and silver ball ornaments in various sizes. Get some white fresh flowers, like tulips or gardenias, and creatively arrange. For a jovial conclusion to the dinner give your guests a little party favor like these milk chocolates.

Music: The itunes music store has a great itunes essential Hanukkah play list with classic hits such as the Adam Sandler Hanukkah song and the Bare Naked Ladies rendition of Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah. Make a play list with your favorite Hanukkah songs and old Christmas favorites. I know it's cheesy but Mannheim Steamroller is great for holiday dinners because the lack of lyrics leads to plenty of conversation.

Drinks: Offer kosher beer for the boys and for dinner serve up a full bodied red wine with robust fruit such as a Zinfandel or Australian Shiraz. Go over the top and serve champagne for dessert. Try a domestic champagne (made right here in the USA-in California!) like a 2003 Domaine Carneros Brut.