Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Makes lots
Ingredients:
Dough:
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
8 oz. cream cheese, chilled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tablespoons sour cream
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup dried cherries
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup apricot preserves
Egg wash
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons milk
Instructions:
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Do a quick pulse. Add the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Pulse until it comes together.
Turn mixture onto work surface, and press into a 9″ x 6″ log. Divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece into an 11×7″ rectangle. Put on baking sheet w/parchment between each dough and freeze for 30 minutes.
Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Put the other ingredients in separate bowls near by.
Remove one rectangle from the freezer. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of preserves over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and then add about 1/2 cup of nuts, dried cherries and chocolate over the sugar. Press down with a piece of parchment so the goodies sink into the dough.
Roll up the dough into a cylinder. Cut off 1/4″ of each end and then cut into 1″ pieces.
Place them seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk egg yolks and milk in a small bowl. Brush top and sides of frozen cookies and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake 21-23 minutes or until they are pale golden and slightly puffy. Rotate pans back to front, half way through baking. Cool on racks and once cooled remove from the parchment.
- Recipe courtesy of Susan Salzman