Raspberry Cherry Rugalah

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 pkg cream cheese, softened (250 g/ 8 oz)
1 cup butter, softened
2 TBS sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups dried or maraschino cherries, chopped
1/4 cup each granulated and packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp sugar
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:
1. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy, beat in sugar. Add flour in 2 additions, stirring to combine. Form into rectangle; cut into quarters. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or even overnight.
3. Filling: In small bowl, combine pecans, cherries, cinnamon and both sugars; set aside.
4. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 of the dough quarters into a 12x8 (30x20 cm) rectangle. Spread with 2 TBS jam; sprinkle with one quarter of the nut mixture. Starting at the long side, tightly roll up into a log. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Cut each log into 12 one inch (2.5 cm) thick slices, arrange upright 1/4 inch apart on prepared pans.
6. Topping: Brush egg over the top of each cookie, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake in top and bottom thirds of oven at 350 degrees (I use dark pans so bake at 325), rotating and switching pans halfway through, until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Begin checking at 18 minutes. Let cool on pans on rack for about 10 minutes, then transfer to racks and let cool completely. Drizzle with chocolate. Makes about 4 dozen.
~*~ From Canadian Living Magazine, December 2005 ~*~