Rugalach Bars

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 40
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold cut in pieces
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup walnuts or 1 cup pecans
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dried apricot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 orange, zest of, grated
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Recipe

• 1 beat together the cream cheese and butter until the cream cheese is softened but the butter is still chunky.
• 2 on low speed slowly add the salt and flour.
• 3 beat until crumbly and beginning to clump together.
• 4 divide dough in two equal pieces.
• 5 flatten each into a rectangle and chill in refrigerator several hours.
• 6 meanwhile make filling.
• 7 in food processor separately pulse chocolate, nuts and apricots until very finely chopped.
• 8 then combine them in a large bowl with remaining filling ingredients.
• 9 stir by hand until of uniform consistency.
• 10 between two sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper roll one chilled rectangle of dough to 13 x 9 inches.
• 11 it helps if you draw a 13x9 rectangle on one sheet of your paper.
• 12 line the bottom of a 13x9 pan (lined with parchment paper) with one rectangle of dough.
• 13 spread filling over and gently pat to evenly spread.
• 14 roll second dough in same manner as first.
• 15 lay dough over filling, trimming as needed.
• 16 mix egg yolk and water.
• 17 brush over top layer of dough.
• 18 sprinkle with garnish sugar.
• 19 bake at 350°f 30-35 minutes until golden.
• 20 remove to rack and cool completely before cutting.