Raspberry Cinnamon Twist Cookies

These little beauties are technically Rugelach, which are a traditional Jewish cookie, but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these. Even though they are a perfect Hanukah cookie (Hanukah starts the day before Thanksgiving) they are a any-Holiday cookie because cinnamon always feels appropriate for the Fall and Winter, and they make a ton. These would be fantastic for a party, a cookie exchange or to give away as gifts.

This is Ina Garten’s recipe and I really didn’t change much except the filling. She used raisins (which I didn’t) and apricot jam, where I used raspberry.

I’m not going to lie; this recipe is a little time consuming. They’re not hard to make, but rolling out 4 separate pieces of dough and then rolling 50-ish cookies was a little tedious. Also, the dough needs a lot of refrigeration so they’re not an instant gratification cookie. Regardless, they are worth making and even better to eat! First of all, it’s a cream cheese dough. See? Already off to a great start! Secondly, once they’re baked the cookies have a soft, delicate crumb with the sweet tartness of the jam and that cinnamon sugar topping… mmmm…. Yummy!

(recipe after the jump)

The Best Chocolate Raspberry Cake you'll ever need

Elise Ruby just turned two and she had a small lunch party with her friends and cousin, and then a dinner party with grandparents and such.

This little girl loves chocolate and raspberries (yup, definitely my kid) so this cake only made sense. In the past I had many brides request this cake because it's a wedding hit. Once when I made this for a wedding a restaurant manager, from a popular local chain, approached me and wanted me to give him this recipe. Although I was very flattered I promptly tossed his business card. He had no intention of paying me for it. Little did he (or I) know that 9 years later I'd be posting it on a blog for anyone and everyone to see and make at home!

party decor

What really makes this cake special is the Swiss Meringue Buttercream. If you've never experienced this type of frosting, then you've never really lived. No, this is not your typical lard and powdered sugar fake-y, overly sweet, dense buttercream. Instead, the texture is pillowy, like a cloud (as if you could put your head on a cloud) it's so airy. This is the frosting that will change the mind of any "buttercream haters". 

sifted dry ingredients

completely cooled, double wrapped and ready for the freezer

Once cooled, the raspberry filling takes on a jam consistency

double boiler with egg whites and sugar

egg whites and sugar whipped up as the meringue

butter is added to the meringue and now it's buttercream

lining up all the ingredients

the schmeer of frosting

slicing the frozen cake means less crumbs to clean up

here's the "fence" of buttercream to keep in the raspberry filling

I think someone likes it

(recipe after the jump)