My Mother's Famous Rugelach (Chocolate Walnut Pastries)

Instructions

• In a food processor, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine all the dough ingredients. Process or beat until it becomes, well, dough-like. In a food processor the mixture will form a ball, and stick together. With a mixer, it just turns into dough. Don't overbeat

• Now, in your food processor, combine all the filling ingredients and process until finely chopped. If you don't have a processor, you can do this in a blender - just make sure you stop and scrape and sides down several times so that everything is evenly ground.

• Here's where the kids come in. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and dust each one with flour. Dust the counter or tabletop with flour, too. (The floor and your children, unfortunately, will dust themselves.) Have your child roll a piece of dough into a circle, approximately 10 in. (25cm) in diameter. Handle the dough gently, and don't be afraid to sprinkle it with more flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. Cover the entire surface of this circle with some of the filling in a thin, even layer. Using a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife) cut the circle into 8 wedges, pizza-style. Roll each wedge up - starting at the wide, outside edge - rolling firmly toward the point. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, bending slightly to form a crescent. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

• A faster, but not as cute, shaping method: Roll the dough out as above, but into a slightly more rectangular shape. Sprinkle with filling, then roll the whole thing up in one piece, starting at one of the long sides. Cut into 1 in. (2cm) sections and place, seam side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet to bake.

• Bake at 350F (180C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned on top, but not burnt on the bottom.