There’s so much to love about this classic twist. You get the best parts of rugelach – the tender dough and the deeply flavorful filling – but instead of rolling up each cookie, you’re baking one layered pan to cut into 40 pieces. The cream cheese-butter dough is easy to press into the pan. The filling is a perfectly balanced combination of honey, butter, brown sugar, toasted pecans, cinnamon, and just enough chopped chocolate for a background note. The results are a tender, elegant, sophisticated cookie that you will be proud to have on your holiday table or to give away to friends.
I’ve given you all kinds of tips and notes in Baking Together #50 (yes 50!), so be sure to read that before you start. A couple notes here: I like to trim the browned edges before cutting into bars (my family loves to nibble the trimmings), and I cut mine into 40 rectangular bars. But you can skip the trimming if you like, and you can also cut squares or triangles.
Makes 40, 2 1/2 x 1-inch cookies
For the filling
- 1 1/2 cups pecans (6 ounces), toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped chocolate (bitter or semisweet)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of table salt
- 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
For the dough
- 16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (2 3/8 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Make the filling
1. In a medium bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar, chocolate, cinnamon and salt and stir until blended. Add the honey and melted butter and stir until well blended.
Make the dough and assemble
1. Cut the butter and cream cheese into 1-inch pieces. Pile the butter and cream cheese on a plate and put in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (I like the straight-sided kind) with foil or parchment, leaving about a 1-inch overhang on two opposite sides.
3. Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process until well blended. Add the cold butter and cream cheese pieces and pulse until the dough forms small, moist crumbs (similar to corn meal) with no visible pieces of butter or cream cheese. Divide the dough crumbs in half (about 15 1/2 ounces each).
4. Scatter one half of the dough crumbs evenly in the prepared pan. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and firmly pat into the bottom and corners of the pan to make an even layer. Scatter the pecan filling evenly over the dough. Scatter the remaining crumbs evenly and loosely over the filling. Use your fingertips to spread the crumbs but resist pressing down. Bake until the edges are browned and the top is light golden brown, 44 to 46 minutes. Move the pan to a rack and cool completely.
Cut and Serve or Store
1. For easy removal and cutting, refrigerate the pan until chilled and firm, 30 to 45 minutes. Use the foil or parchment edges on the sides to lift the cookie from the pan. Carefully peel away the foil or parchment and set on a cutting board. Cut crosswise into 5 equal strips and then cut each strip into 8 rectangles. (Or cut into size and shape you desire.) Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar just before serving, if desired.
Make ahead note:
Cookies can be stored, layered between waxed or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or frozen up to 1 month.
