pecans | nina in the kitchen

Rugelach/Aunt Marie’s Cheese Horns

Posted on February 3, 2015 by nina in the kitchen

Aunt Marie (Korzin Winiarski) was my mom’s older sister. Mom had 5 brothers and 5 sisters. She was also the middle child. I won’t analyze that. My grandmother did not make many desserts, but her daughters learned to.

Aunt Marie was a wonderful baker. At our large family gatherings she was known for these cookies we called Cheese Horns. The dough is not sweet and is made with cottage cheese. It wasn’t till recent years that I learned these were a form of Rugelach, a rolled cookie made with cream cheese or cottage cheese and filled with a variety of sugar, nuts and dried fruits or poppy seed paste, jam or chocolate. It is a Jewish Eastern European cookie which means little twist or little corners. I’ve seen much more complex recipes than this one. Mine is easy and pretty and not exceptionally sweet.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cottage cheese

2 cups flour

1/4-1/2 cup melted butter

1/2-1 cup brown sugar

1/2-1 cup chopped pecans

1/2-1 cup chopped dried cherries, optional

Cinnamon, optional

1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water

Rugelach Dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F

2. In a mixer beat butter till fluffy. Add cottage cheese and mix till combined

3. Mix in flour. Chill until ready to use

4. Prepare work space with flour or a floured pastry cloth

5. Divide pastry into 3-4 rounds, depending on how small you want to make the cookies. More rounds for smaller cookies.

6. Place a round of dough on a floured surface. I use a Foley brand pastry cloth and frame and a rolling pin covered with a knit cover and flour.

Foley pastry cloth, covered rolling pin, covered with sifted flour

7. Roll into a thin round about 10 inches across.

8. Brush entire surface with melted butter

Sprinkle with dark brown sugar
Sprinkle with chopped pecans and cherries
Sprinkle with cinnamon

Melted butter, brown sugar & chopped pecans

9. Using a small knife, cut across the dough in half. Cut into 12-16 segments.

10. Roll up each cookie, starting at the wider end.

Place small end down on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Brush entire surface with a mixture of 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.

11. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until just turning lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

12. I often double this recipe. When brushing on the egg wash make sure you start with a fresh egg and water half way through brushing the 2 batches of cookies

Voila!

Aunt Lois’ Carrot Cake

Posted on March 4, 2013 by nina in the kitchen

Carrots, pineapple and nuts folding into the cake batter

Aunt Lois Sanders Zuro shared this recipe in 1970. It’s been a family favorite ever since!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten well

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

3 cups grated carrot, do not pack, but lightly spoon into measuring cups, about 1 pound

1 15-ounce can sweetened crushed pineapple, drained well!

Directions

Butter and flour three 8 or 9-inch round baking pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixer bowl blend sugar and oil. Add well beaten eggs and blend well.
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk together thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir till just blended.
Stir in nuts, carrots and pineapple.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 25-35 minutes.
Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Also check to see that the cake has slightly pulled away from the sides of the baking pan.
Let cool 20 minutes or so on cooling racks.
When cakes are cool enough to handle, remove from baking pans by inverting onto racks.
Cool completely. Cover with Saran if you do no plan to frost them the same day.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 pound or 4 cups powdered sugar

8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3 teaspoons lemon juice, to your taste of tartness

1 1/2-2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

1 1/2-2 cups raisins which have been softened in boiling water and drained well

Directions

In a mixing bowl combine butter and cream cheese and beat well.
Add powdered sugar and beat well. Add vanilla and lemon juice and blend.
If icing appears too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Spread a thin coat of icing on the top of the first layer of cake. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nuts and raisins.
Spread a thin layer on both sides of the 2nd layer of cake.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the nuts and raisins on the 2nd layer of cake.
Spread a thin layer on the bottom side of the 3rd layer of cake.
Using a narrow metal spatula or knife, ice the side of the cake and finally the top of the cake. Decorate the top with remaining raisins and walnuts.

Voila!

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