Forevermama's Crescent Rugelach Cookies

Step 1: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar in water.

Step 2: Combine flour and salt in a mixer bowl. With mixer at low speed, beat in yeast mixture, egg yolks, cream and vanilla.

Step 3: Blend in butter 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated.

Step 4: Wrap dough and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with foil. Grease foil.

Step 6: Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle heaping tablespoon on work surface (you will be using more of the sugar/cinnamon mixture for rolling). (If necessary, you may need to make more cinnamon-sugar mixture).

Step 7: Divide dough into 10 pieces; shape into balls. Cover each ball with plastic wrap. Place balls in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be refrigerated overnight at this point).

Step 8: Roll 1 ball into an 8" circle, turning to coat well with cinnamon-sugar. Cut into 8 wedges.

Step 9: Place 1/2 tsp jam, a pinch of walnuts and a few golden raisins in the outer edge of each wedge.

Step 10: Roll up each wedge from outer edge; transfer to cookie sheet, curving to form a crescent.

Step 11: Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 12: Bake 25-30 minutes, until browned and puffed.

Step 13: Remove rugelach immediately from aluminum foil (Very important step or else they will stick to foil and you will end up having to peel foil from bottom of cookies).

Step 14: Place on wire rack to cool.

Step 15: Tip!: In order to remove seeds from raspberry jam, heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat until jam begins to melt. Pour melted jam into a sieve and with a spoon press the jam "liquid" through the sieve mesh. The sieve will separate the seeds from jam and you'll wind up with seedless jam.

Step 16: Makes 70 - 80 cookies