This is another Jewish recipe that became an instant favorite at the bakery. I don’t know about you, but I’m a complete sucker for any and all rolled pastry. Pulling apart the layers and investigating and indulging in the different textures inside are activities I would do all day if asked. Normally, rugalach recipes call for nuts but I made them optional in honor of the allergy-plagued among us.

　　

Ingredients

makes 40

　　3/4 cup vegan sugar

　　2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon agave nectar

　　2 tablespoons melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

　　3/4 cup rice flour

　　Basic Gluten-Free Pastry Dough (page 32)

　　1 cup purchased apricot preserves or homemade blackberry jam (see page 94)

　　1 cup raisins, chopped

　　1 cup walnuts (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon; set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the agave nectar and coconut oil and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

Dust a clean work surface and a rolling pin with the rice flour. Place about one quarter of the dough on the work surface and roll it out to form a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment and place it in the refrigerator to chill while you roll out the remaining dough in the same fashion. Place the second rectangle of dough in the refrigerator to chill.

　　

Step 4

Place 1 portion of chilled dough on the work surface with a long side facing you. Spread 1/4 cup of the preserves or jam onto the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the raisins over it, followed by 1/4 cup of the walnuts, if using, and 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll the dough into a tight log. Transfer it to a baking sheet, then pinch the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining dough, arranging the logs 1 inch apart on one of the prepared baking sheets. Brush the logs with the agave mixture and sprinkle each with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Using a sharp knife, make 3/4-inch-deep cuts crosswise in the dough at 1-inch intervals, making sure not to cut through to the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 15 minutes, rotate, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the logs are golden brown. Let stand on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice the cookies all the way through.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.