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Cream Cheese Dough
(Cuisine, December 2001, Issue 30, p. 24)
Makes: 1 1/2 Pounds Total Time: 15 Minutes + Chilling Overnight Rating: Easy
Cream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 t. lemon zest, finely minced
Sift; Add to Cream Cheese Mixture:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t. table salt
Related Recipes:
Rugelach
Cub Claws
Cream butter, cheese, and zest with a mixer on medium speed.
Sift dry ingredients and add; blend just until incorporated. Shape dough into a thick log and divide into three 8-oz. portions. Wrap each piece in plastic and flatten into a disk. Chill dough overnight before using.
Cub Claws
(Cuisine, December 2001, Issue 30, p. 26)
Makes: 36 Cookies Total Time: 2–2 1 /2 Hours + Chilling Overnight Rating: Intermediate
For the Cream Cheese Dough—
Cream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 t. lemon zest, finely minced
Sift; Add to Cream Cheese Mixture:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t. table salt
For the Filling—
Grind in Food Processor:
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) sliced almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 t. lemon zest, finely minced
1/2 t. almond extract
Pinch table salt
Add and Process:
3 T. beaten egg (from one large egg; reserve extra for egg washing cookies)
For the Garnish and Icing—
Crush:
2/3 cup sliced almonds
Blend:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T. milk
Cream butter, cheese, and zest for dough, with a mixer on medium speed.
Sift dry ingredients and add; blend just until incorporated (use a wooden spoon if hard to mix). Shape dough into a thick log and divide into three 8-oz. portions. Wrap each piece in plastic and flatten into a disk. Chill dough overnight.
Grind almonds and sugar for filling, in a processor until nuts are fine. Add butter, zest, extract, and salt; process to blend. In a small bowl, beat one egg until blended.
Add 3 T. egg to the almond mixture; process until a ball forms around the blade (it will be sticky). Transfer to a bowl; chill at least 1 hour before using (may be made up to a day ahead). Preheat oven to 350°. Roll a disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 11–12" square, 1/8" thick. Flip dough often while rolling to prevent sticking. With a pizza wheel, trim to make a 10" square, then three 3 x 10" strips. Roll 3 T. almond filling into a snake about 10" long; place it down the center of a dough strip. Roll filling for remaining two strips. Brush upper half of each strip with reserved egg wash (from making the almond filling). Now fold the lower half of the dough (the un-egg washed side) over the almond filling; tuck it under the filling slightly. Fold the egg washed portion in half lengthwise, up to where the dough tucks under the filling. You should have a cylinder of filling encased by dough with a flap at the top (see inset photo). Repeat folding with remaining strips. Turn the logs seam side down. With a bench scraper or knife, cut each log in half, then each half in two pieces. Use scissors to snip “toes” in the flap of dough to make a claw shape. Take care not to cut into the almond filling. Gently bend each claw slightly to make a “paw” shape; place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 11/2" apart. Brush the tops with more egg wash. Crush almonds and gently press onto each claw. Bake cookies on middle rack of oven until golden, 20–30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Do not overbake. Cool cookies completely on pans.
Blend powdered sugar and milk together to make a glaze. When cool, drizzle glaze over claws with a fork. (If freezing, don’t glaze claws until thawed.)
Nutrition Information (Per cub claw):
180 calories 68% calories from fat 14g total fat 12g carb. 54mg sodium
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PJ
PJ