I know, I know. More pumpkin. I can't seem to help myself.
A few things have finally happened around here that suggest fall might actually be on its way:
1. According to my dashboard, the temperature dipped down to a *crisp* 69 degrees this morning. Woo!
2. I have seen/heard of several roadside pumpkin patches {and just about every other picture on my Facebook feed shows little ones posing with said pumpkins}.
3. There was only one can of pumpkin puree left on the shelves at Target.
I totally snagged it so I could make these. Score.
Have you ever tried rugelach? I remember my mom would buy them sometimes when I was younger. They came in a clear plastic cylinder, giving me a clear view that the contents were nothing to be excited about. Though I knew they were considered a "treat" I couldn't quite understand the appeal... probably because, while they were sweet, they were usually filled with fruit & nuts. And in my kid-brain, fruit & nuts equaled adult food. Therefore, yuck. {Very logical.}
It wasn't until I was a bit older that I started to appreciate them. Tender, flaky, melt-in-your mouth crust. Delicious filling all tucked and rolled into each swirled little cookie. {And I discovered that they can sometimes contain chocolate, too. That might have helped my change of heart.} What's not to love?
As much as I love rugelach with a sweet filling, this recipe for savory rugelach caught my eye immediately. In fact, I pinned them as soon as I saw them shared by King Arthur Flour... and then promptly forgot about them.
I'm really glad the thought of these popped into my head again this week. Because They.Are.GOOD.
Like, "Maybe I won't tell anyone I made these and I'll just eat the whole tray" kinda good.
{Though I don't recommend doing that or anything.}
You know what these would be perfect for? {Besides devouring, of course.} A little wine night with the girls. Or as a savory little appetizer to hold over hungry stomachs before Thanksgiving dinner. Or really, for no other reason than to have a delicious snack to nibble on any day.
While the original recipe called for the combination of pumpkin and Parmesan, I decided to use some Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar, mostly just because it sounded like a good idea. {It was.} The addition of sage and onion give the pumpkin an even warmer, more inviting flavor.
Delish.
So, are you guys all pumpkined-out yet, or what? What other types of fall recipes are you hoping to see around here... I'm open to suggestions! Leave me a note in the comments or hop over to my Facebook page and let me know what you're thinking. 🙂
Savory Pumpkin-Cheddar Rugelach
Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour
Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup {1 stick} unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
4 ounces {half a block} cream cheese, diced
For Filling:
1 tablespoon garlic oil or regular olive oil
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground sage
Dash of chili powder
½ cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
¼ cup {or a smidge more} aged white cheddar {I used Cabot Farmhouse Reserve}
2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
.
1. Place all pastry ingredients into a blender. Pulse until the dough comes together. You'll know it's done because it'll gather up into a ball.
2. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out into a circle, about 14 inches round. At this point, you can pop it into the fridge until you're ready to spread on the filling or wrap it up in plastic wrap in refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir, cooking until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with ground sage and chili powder and cook, stirring, for about 1 more minute.
4. Add pumpkin puree, salt and pepper. Stir together with onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the pumpkin has lost some of its moisture.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or line with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Either way, make sure you use cooking spray! These like to stick!
5. Remove rolled pastry circle from refrigerator. {Make sure that it is able to be removed from the surface you have it on, then dust with flour and set down again.} Spread pumpkin mixture onto the circle, leaving about ¼ inch border. Sprinkle cheese and walnuts over top of pumpkin.
6. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges. {The easiest way to ensure they're equally sized is to cut in half, then in half again, and proceed until you have 18 long triangles.}
7. Starting at the wider end, roll each triangle up, then place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all pieces are rolled. Brush each with egg wash.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rugelach are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down. {Be careful, they're sort of fragile when they first come out of the oven.}
Candace @ Cabot says
Oh. My. Goodness! I love the idea of savory rugelach. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe...perfect for the holidays.
bmayer says
We have a girls night coming up.....
thekitchenprep says
@Candace - Thank you! I think the cheese made all the difference! 🙂
@bmayer - Then Pumpkin Rugelach it is! Now... who's bringing the wine?? 😉
Shaina Wizov says
I've been searching for the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving/Chanukah. I wanted to incorporate foods from both holidays since the first night of Chanukah actually falls ON Thanksgiving this year. This nails it!! I definitely want to make this for our family holiday dinner. Thanks!!
thekitchenprep says
@Shaina - Aww! That makes me so happy! I'm glad that you'll be making these, I was actually surprised at how delicious they turned out. Honored that they'll be part of your family's celebration! 🙂
Anonymous says
So happy to have this recipe because I have a quart of fresh pumpkin puree waiting to be turned into something other than pumpkin pie and i've been dying to make a savory rugelach.. But I have two concerns: I make rugelach all the time(with many friends suggesting I market it) but I bake for 18 min at 350. ...400 seems high and the time seems long...is this because of the filling? as opposed to the usual nuts and raisin and cinnamon sugar? and second.... can I use the parchment paper i use for the sweet rugelach instead of the aluminum foil/spray?I'm not a fan of the spray. ...also...I use the same dough recipe you [email protected]...sorry i have topost as anonymous; I'm new with this.
thekitchenprep says
@Virginia - I'm so happy to hear you're happy to be trying these! 🙂 I made mine exactly as suggested, and they turned out as pictured above... BUT, if you are accustomed to making yours at a lower temp or lesser cook time, then gauge accordingly! Different ovens/altitudes cause things to bake differently, and it sounds like you're a pro when it comes to rugelach. Since you've made them many times before and know how they should turn out, I suggest keeping an eye on them while they're baking and deciding if they're done based on how they look. The only thing you need to ensure is that the filling heats sufficiently to cook the egg, other than that you're good to go! You may absolutely use parchment {I actually prefer it to foil & I use my own olive oil in a Misto as the "spray"... I'm not a fan of the store-bought stuff either}, I just happened to be out when I made these. I hope these turn out great for you!