Peppermint Cranberry Rugelach Cookies
Do you love rugelach cookies? Do you also love the Holiday flavors of Cranberry and Peppermint? If the answer is yes, then boy do I have the dessert for you! These are buttery, these are flaky, and they have the perfect Holiday kick in the homemade Cranberry Peppermint Jam.
What You’ll Need. . .
Flour
Salt
Butter
Cream Cheese
Sugar
Vanilla
Cranberries
Water
Brown Sugar
Orange
Peppermint Extract
1 egg + water
Turbinado Sugar
Candy Canes
First you’ll prep the dough. It only takes a few minutes, so I usually make this the night before and just have it ready for the next day. Cut butter into cubes. In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. Add in the salt and mix, and then add in the flour in three parts and mix until it becomes clumpy. Separate the dough into three balls and then flatten into one inch thick disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight. You can also make the jam ahead of time, or the same day you’re baking. To make the jam, add 12 oz washed cranberries (fresh or frozen) into your saucepan. Add the zest of one orange, water, brown and granulated sugar, and the juice of the same orange to your saucepan. Heat on medium heat for 10 minutes while mixing. It will boil for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix, and reduce heat to simmer. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, while mixing every once in a while. Turn off the heat and let cool 30 minutes.
Now you’re ready to put it all together! Roll out your dough into 3 circles (about 10 inches diameter each), 1/8 inch thick each, on a lightly floured surface. Preheat your oven to 350F. Cut your dough with a pizza roller or pie dough roller into 8 wedges. Spread the jam onto each wedge, leaving a 3/4 inch margin with no jam around the top edge of the circle. Starting at the outer (larger) edge of each wedge, roll it towards the pointy end. Place onto parchment lined baking sheet, pointy side down. Crush 4-6 mini candy canes in a plastic baggie or inside plastic wrap. Now mix together one egg plus 1tbsp water for an egg wash. Brush the rugelach with the egg wash, then sprinkle with crushed candy cane and turbinado sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Enjoy right away or you can store in an airtight container up to one week.
Some Notes. . .
- I used 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, but you can cut that in half if it’s too much peppermint for you. Or leave it out if you just want cranberry and a hint of peppermint from the candy canes on top!
- You can store these in an airtight container for up to one week.
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Peppermint Cranberry Rugelach Cookies
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cup flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Jam
- 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- juice of 1 orange
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
Topping
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- ⅛ cup turbinado sugar
- ⅛ cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth. Add in the salt and mix, and then add in the flour, in three parts, and mix until it becomes clumpy.
- Separate the dough into three balls and flatten into one inch thick disks. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.
Jam
- Add 12 oz washed cranberries (fresh or frozen and defrosted) into your saucepan. Add the zest of one orange, water, brown and granulated sugar, and the juice of the same orange to your saucepan. Heat on medium heat for 10 minutes while mixing. It will boil for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix, and reduce heat to simmer. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, while mixing every once in a while. Turn off the heat and let cool 30 minutes.
Assembly
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough into 3 ten inch circles, 1/8 inch thick each. Preheat your oven to 350F. Cut your dough with a pizza cutter or pie dough/pastry cutter into 8 equal wedges.
- Spread the jam onto each wedge, leaving a 3/4 inch margin with no jam around the top edge of the circle. Starting at the outer (larger) edge of each wedge, roll it towards the pointy end. Place onto parchment lined baking sheet, pointy side down.
- Crush 4-6 mini candy canes in a plastic baggie or inside plastic wrap. Now mix together one egg plus 1tbsp water for an egg wash. Brush the rugelach with the egg wash, then sprinkle with crushed candy cane and turbinado sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove, let cool, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can make the dough and jam the night before if your prefer. For the jam, just transfer to a sealed glass jar once cooled.
- You can enjoy the rugelach right away or store in an airtight container up to one week.