Tuesday, March 6, 2012

TwD - Rugelach - Baking with Julia

My husband joined the Air Force after college.  His first assignment after pilot training was at Beale AFB in California.  It was a long way from home.  Gary and I were in our early 20s and very naive.  On his first day of in processing a very nice major befriended him and showed him the ropes.  The major, Norm and his wife, Lori, became our good friends and mentors.  They made being so far from home much nicer and eased us into the Air Force way of life. And Lori taught me how to make Cream Cheese Cookies.
Lori's Cream Cheese Cookies
This has been our favorite cookie ever since.  The dough is much like the rugelach dough in Baking with Julia.  The cookie dough is rolled after chilling and cut into whatever shape you desire.  Put a dollop of your favorite jam, fold the dough over the filling and bake.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool and enjoy!  Which we did with Norm and Lori again and again.

After many years and many moves and a divorce (them, not us) we lost contact with Norm and Lori.  A couple of years ago Lori found me and our friendship picked up right where we left off.

 Sadly we didn't have much time together.  Lori was sick and died last year.  Many times we talked about meeting again but she lived in North Carolina and I lived in Oklahoma and it wasn't until her daughter called to say Lori was in the hospital and wasn't going to make it that I hurried to see her.  Her daughter said "Mom open your eyes and see who I brought you."  Though she was in a drug induced state she opened her eyes and saw me.  Tears fell, hers and mine.  She didn't look at me again and died the next day.

Prune Ruglach 
These wonderful rugelach brought all that back to me.  The dough is easy to make.  I used the food processor and mixed the dough like a pie crust.  Next time I'll use the mixer and cream the softened butter and cream cheese like a cookie dough.  Still it wasn't difficult and it came together easily using a technique known as fraisage, smearing the dough against the countertop using the heel of your hand.

I made prune and apricot lekvars and both were delicious!  I think the prune is my favorite though. The filling was raisins, figs, and apricots.  I rolled and sliced one batch and the other I made into crescents.  Both worked easily and held the filling quite nicely.
Apricot Rugelach

I love this baking group and this cookbook.  We are in our 2nd month and I've learned so many new things.  The hosts for this recipe are Jessica and Margaret.  Stop by TwD to see what everyone experienced with this recipe.

39 comments:

  1. What a lovely memory and isn't it wonderful to have a favorite cookie recipe that reminds you of a great friendship. Your rugelach are beautiful and your filling is so yummy looking.

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  2. What a nice and sad story, sorry for your loss. Your rugelach look beautiful!!

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  3. Such a lovely memory of your friend to share with the group. Your rugelach are a fitting tribute - love the little crescents!

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  4. What a great story and post. Thanks for sharing your memory of your friend!

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  5. Such a beautiful memory to share. Thanks for sharing.
    Your cookies came out beautifully.

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  6. Great pictures and wonderful looking Rugelach! Thank you for sharing your story. I know that can be hard, especially with people you don't know.

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  7. Such a sad story. It just goes to show how tied food is to memories--both good and bad.

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  8. Wow, Guyla - your Rugelach look fantastic. I think I'd love your Cream Cheese Cookies, too. I like the more traditional version better than this one, but it's always fun to try something different.

    Until FFWD!

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  9. WOW!! Your rugelach is perfect Guyla! I'm so jealous. Your cream cheese cookies sound really good as well.

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  10. These look wonderful, and I can see how this recipe would bring great memories for you :)

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  11. Thanks for the beautiful post, words and, oh ya, the baked items too.

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  12. These look amazing! Your post was very moving. Thanks for sharing your friendship with Lori. :)

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  13. What a moving post... and such beautiful treats, too. Thanks for baking along with me this week, Lola!

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  14. What a beautiful post! It's amazing how a certain food can trigger a memory. I think those are the same cookies my mom taught me to make. Dorie's recipe brought them to mind for me, too.

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  15. Beautifully done! And I'm so glad you got to reconnect with your friend before you lost her~

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  16. Thank you for sharing your story about Lori and the Cream Cheese Cookies, I am going to make them and I will think of you! I will let you know when I post and give credit to you! Blessings to you and yours.

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  17. Oh, I'm so sorry about your loss but it's wonderful to know she came into your life when you needed her and vice versa.
    Your rugelach look great. :)

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  18. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful touching story to go along with your cookies. Your rugelach look professional, that cream cheese cookie recipe sounds good too;-)

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  19. The rugelach look beautiful, almost as beautiful as your story

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  20. You have such nice memories of your friend and her cookies; it's so nice to have a recipe to remember someone by.

    I love the cream cheese dough! Mine were a mess, but tasty. I really like how your crescents look.

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  21. What a touching story. Food can have that kind of memory for us. Your rugelach look gorgeous.

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  22. Thanks for sharing your story. It's posts like this that allow us all to get to know each other a little better outside the kitchen. Beautiful Rugelach!

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  23. Gorgeous! I could get on board with cream cheese cookies!

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  24. I'm so sorry to hear about your good friend Lori, but I'm glad that these cookies brought back some happy memories for you :)

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  25. What a very moving story, Lola. I like Lori's cookie in that you can shape the dough whichever way you want. It makes cooking making even more creative and fun. Your cookies look absolutely beautiful.

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  26. Beautiful photos of your rugelach and a heartwarming story of your friend. Bless you for going to see her before she passed.

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  27. Thanks for sharing the story about your friend. Makes the cookies even more special, I'm sure. lovely photos of lovely cookies!!

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  28. What a touching story.. Thanks for sharing..

    And, your rugelach look great..

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  29. I'm so glad you were able to see your friend, and that you have the cookies to share her memory. The cookies look wonderful. I'm running so far behind in my posts. Hoping to get mine up tonight or tomorrow - thanks for asking:) The rugelach look really delicous too!

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  30. What a touching story. We really do make a difference in others lives. Loved this recipe--every step of the way.

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  31. Your rugelach looks awesome! Really beautiful pictures. Great job!

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  32. What a beautiful story. I love all of your photos - both shapes of rugelach and the cream cheese cookies all look great.

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  33. Oh, this is wonderful. I was wanting to find another excuse to make the cream cheese dough, and those cookies look perfect. A great post and a wonderful story!

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  34. Oh your story you shared was so touching...thanks for sharing! I tried what you suggested with my computer freezing and clicked on through your response...my computer didn't freeze so I am not sure what is going on..but yay I got to see your blog. Your ruglelach turned out beautifully!! I am loving this baking group as well :)

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  35. Thanks for sharing the story about Lori and her cream cheese cookies! It is not surprising your rugelach turned out great!

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  36. our memories of loved friends bind us to the foods we shared; so sweet! Your rugelach are simply gorgeous- thank you for sharing with us!

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  37. Such a beautiful memory! So glad you got to see her again. Your rugelach came out perfect...I also received a recipe for rugelach from an old friend and make them every Christmas!

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  38. So touching. Thank you for sharing.
    Your Rugelach looks delicious.
    Sorry for my late commenting.

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