These sweet and savory rugelach make a great cocktail party appetizer!  The pastry is infused with a mild and creamy buttermilk blue cheese, and it’s beautifully balanced with a seasonal pear filling and crunchy walnut topping.

Making these for my holiday party- Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach.  So good with a glass of wine!

Good morning my friends!  How was your weekend?  Mine was busy and very exciting.  I had a great time in Chicago, learning all about Aldi, and then it was off the plane and right into the wedding festivities.  It was all just beautiful and I enjoyed every second of it!  If you follow me on Instagram then you’ve probably already seen some of the highlights!

So here we are on Monday morning, and as exciting as it is to travel, it always feels so great to get back home and into my normal routine.  I was not able to get any baking done over the weekend, but I did whip these little treats up a few weeks back and I’m so happy to be able to share them with you now.

Making these for my holiday party- Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach.  So good with a glass of wine!

If you aren’t already familiar with rugelach, they are traditionally a sweet cookie, with a cinnamon or fruit filling.  The pastry itself is super easy to work with; it’s a silky dough that’s made with cream cheese and it just melts in your mouth.  When Stemilt invited me to develop a recipe that pairs fruit and cheese, I just knew that I wanted to use pears and blue cheese.  They’re such a classic combo, with the added crunch of walnuts, and rugelach are a perfect vehicle for those incredible flavors.  I just swapped out a little of the cream cheese for a mild and creamy blue.

One batch of this recipe will give you 4 dozen cookies, so they’re perfect for feeding a crowd!  But if you’d like a smaller batch, feel free to halve the recipe.  I’ve tried it myself and it works just great!

Making these for my holiday party- Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach.  So good with a glass of wine!

As you can see here, you just roll out the dough into a big circle and then spread it with the sweet pear filling.  Cut it into wedges and then roll each wedge up crescent-style.  Brush with egg, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, and bake!  They look fancy but really it’s pretty simple!

Making these for my holiday party- Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach.  So good with a glass of wine!

These are fantastic when warm from the oven, so if you are able to keep them unbaked in the fridge or freezer until your guests start to arrive, you should definitely give that a try.  But they’re still pretty rockin’ at room temp so don’t be afraid to leave them out on a platter as the party goes on!

Hope you enjoy, and if you’re looking for more great ways to pair fruit, cheese, and wine, definitely check out the Pairology tool on Stemilt’s site!

Making these for my holiday party- Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach.  So good with a glass of wine!

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Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach

Servings: 48 small pastries
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
These sweet and savory rugelach make a great cocktail party appetizer! The pastry is infused with a mild and creamy buttermilk blue Cheese, and it's beautifully balanced with a seasonal pear filling and crunchy walnut topping.

Ingredients

  • 4 bartlett pears
  • 2 tablespoons (29.57 g) unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons (44.36 g) light brown sugar, (loosely packed)
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
  • 6 ounces (170.1 g) cream cheese,, softened
  • 4 ounces (113.4 g) buttermilk blue cheese, (slightly softened)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • egg wash, (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, milk, or water)
  • 1 cup (117 g) walnut pieces, finely chopped

Instructions
 

To Make the Filling:

  • Peel and core the pears. Shred with a box grater or food processor.
  • Heat a small skillet on medium high heat with the butter.
  • Add the pears, brown sugar, and salt and cook until slightly softened.
  • Drain off any excess liquid and refrigerate until chilled.

To Make the Dough:

  • Cream the butter, cheeses, and honey in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
  • Add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
  • Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and refrigerate for one hour.
  • Roll each ball to a thickness of ⅛ inch, and top with an even layer of pear filling.
  • Cut into quarters, and then cut each quarter into thirds.
  • Starting at the widest end of each triangle, roll gently towards the point and then shape into a crescent.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Brush the rugelach with egg wash and top with chopped walnuts.
  • Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Serving: 1pastry, Calories: 108kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 64mg, Potassium: 44mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 203IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.