Bourbon Cherry Walnut Rugelach
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These traditional Christmas cookies have received a fall time makeover! Their warm flavor is positively addicting, you will eat them all before you know it.
Dish Count :: 1 Food Processor, 1 Baking Sheet, Pizza Cutter, Mixer

Today is the day – the day of the Move! *Dun duh DUNNNN* And really I could use a whole ‘nother batch of cookies to get me through this move. The apartment can’t hold any more boxes and Ben and I can’t create any more paths and passages through the boxes to sit on the couch let alone pack more things away.
Huck is ready for this move to be over with, too. His face wrinkles are in rare form and in a constant state of worry. Mostly I think he’s worried we are leaving him and all his toys behind. But how could we ever do that?! He’s the furbaby!

And don’t worry – he got a cookie just because.
The move will be a good thing, a short move, but none the less a good one. We need a little extra space, and another bedroom for Ben to study in will be a blessed relief for me to not stare in to the wicked eye of a work lamp at all hours of the night.
And let’s not pretend Ben isn’t excited either when he can close the door behind me as I am banging away in the kitchen. It’s a win-win for everyone!

So send prayers a smooth move, no hurt backs and if you can conjure up a slew of Icy Hot back patches just in case, that would be a dream.
And pray that the mattress delivery guy doesn’t get lost! Now that would be a REAL tragedy!


Bourbon Cherry Walnut Rugelach
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
These traditional Christmas cookies have received a fall time makeover! Their warm flavor is positively addicting, you will eat them all before you know it.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks Butter, chilled and cubed
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 cup Sugar, plus 1/4 cup divided
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 cup Dried Cherries
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- 1 cup Walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp Water
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine butter, cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt until combined. Add flour and pulse until a dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 2 hours – or overnight if possible.
- In a small saucepan, bring dried cherries, bourbon, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until most of liquid is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the warm cherry mixture into a clean food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Stir in walnuts and the remaining 2/3 cup sugar.
- Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, on a floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-inch circle.
- Spread with half the filling, leaving a 1-inch border. Cut into 16 wedges using a pizza cutter – it was the fastest and easiest way.
- Starting from outside edge, tightly roll each wedge up, like a croissant. Place each cookie on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheets, seam side down. Lightly brush with an egg wash made of one egg and a tablespoon of water beaten together.
- Freeze the cookies for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely and then devour.
Notes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Apricot Walnut Rugelach
These are so pretty and I love the flavors..they remind me of Christmas!
I LOVE Rugelach! I made some with nutella and mint recently but cherries are my favorite!!! Great recipe and I will be making these for fall!!! Thanks!
I hope the move goes smoothly (and these babies could get me through ANYTHING.) Love you for adding bourbon!)
Good luck with the move! Any time I move, I’m not Officially Moved in until I bake a batch of my mom’s cookies in the oven. Please tell me I am not the only one who uses baking as a way to christen an apartment
Yay!! So excited for the move for you guys. And keeping the fingers crossed that it all goes smooth. Now, pass me a cookie!
Best of luck with your move!!! Loving this fall spin!
These sounds delish!!
Good luck with your move!!! I can’t wait to see pictures! And these treats sound so wonderful. 🙂
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Gosh, I love rugelach!! Such a comfort dessert from my childhood and this flavor sounds exceptional. Good luck with the moving!!
Ho. Lee. Yum.
I most assuredly will be making these for Christmas or maybe even Thanxmas with the family, if I can’t wait until December. Best of luck with the move, and may your new mattress find it’s new home without incident.
These look delish!!
Oh man I’ve been waiting for this recipe ever since you posted the photo on Instagram. Love it.
I grew up on rugelach and make them all the time! Love love your spin with bourbon!! Good luck on moving!
wahoo!!!! So exciting!! I’m sending lots of positive moving vibes your way! 😉 These cookies are GORGEOUS!
Good luck with your move! These cookies look so fantastic, definitely bookmarking for later because they are one of my dad’s favorite cookies!
Mmm, these look awesome! I’ve never had good luck with Rugelach because I am impatient but I totally want to try these! Have fun with the move!
Good luck girl! I hope everything went smoothly….sorry about the weather not cooperating today though. Boo. These cookies look amazing. I’m all over anything with bourbon…:-)
Bourbon in COOKIES? I love you.
Good luck with the move!
OMG what awesome cookies. Where have they been all my life. They are great cookies year round. A cookie that would allow me to make a splashy impression at a party or potluck. Lol
GOOD LUCK with moving!! Eeeek! I hate moving. Could I BE any more discouraging?? haha 😀
BUUUUT I LOOOOOOVE your awesomely gorgeous rugelach!!
I am loving this bourboned-up take on rugelach. Gorgeous.
Before I moved to the east coast I had never had rugelach before. Love the addition of bourbon.