Hazelnut Rolled Rugelach (egg-less)

Makes 16 large cookies

3/4 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Prepare hazelnuts in advanced.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and arrange hazelnuts in one single layer.

    Toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Place on a clean kitchen towel, cover, and let steam for 1 minute.

    Using the towel, gently rub the nuts to release their skins.

Place hazelnuts in a bowl of food processor and process until small bits, not powder. Add sugars and mix together. Keep in a covered container.

Using a fork, mix the butter, cream cheese to thoroughly combine. In a medium bowl mix baking powder and flour and add to cream cheese mixture. Knead a dough, cover with plastic and leave in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Divide the dough and hazelnuts mixture into 2 equal parts. Rub flour all over a rolling pin. Working with one dough disk at a time, place the disk on a clean, well-floured surface. Sprinkle with some hazelnuts mixtures all over the top. Applying some pressure with the rolling pin, roll gently from the center of the dough to the top and bottom edges. Rotate the disk and roll to the top and bottom edges again.

Re-flour the work surface and rolling pin, turn the dough over, sprinkle the surface with more hazelnuts mixture and continue to roll the dough from the center out to the edges. Turn over and roll again, rotating the disk to ensure even rolling until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter, thin but not transparent.

Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with second chunk of dough and hazelnut mixture.

Bake about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Russian version (Valentina Zarkan)