Rugelach

Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. Beat together the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7-by-5-inch rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 1- to 1 ½-inch deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out the remaining piece into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer that to a tray and chill while rolling out the remaining dough in the same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on the tray.

Whisk ½ cup sugar with the cinnamon.

Arrange 1 dough rectangle on your work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread ¼ cup of the preserves evenly over the dough with an offset spatula. Sprinkle ¼ cup raisins and a rounded ¼ cup walnuts over the jam, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar.

Using parchment as an aid, roll up the dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in the lined baking pan, then pinch the ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in the same manner and arrange 1 inch apart in pan. Brush the logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. With a sharp large knife, make ¾-inch-deep cuts crosswise in the dough (not all the way through) at 1-inch intervals. (If the dough is too soft to cut, refrigerate until it is firmer, 20–30 minutes.)

Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm on the baking sheet set atop a wire rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.