Traditional Poppy Seed Rugelach

 Preparation

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add flour, sugar and salt and beat to combine. Form 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap; chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the poppy seeds coarsely. Heat poppy seeds in a pan with milk, honey, raisins and zest, stirring over medium-low heat until thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool. This can be done ahead, and refrigerated overnight, or 45 minutes before the dough chilling time is over.
3. Line two sheet pans with parchment, preheat oven to 325⁰F. Roll out each round of dough to make a 12-inch round about1/8-inch thick, then spread each with half of the filling. Use a pizza cutter or chef’s knife to cut each round in 12 wedges. Roll up each piece, starting at the wide end, curving the tips to make a crescent shape. Place on pan, chill for an hour.
4. Bake for 40 minutes total, switching the position of the pans between upper and lower oven racks at 20 minutes.
5. Place the pans on cooling racks and allow rugelach to cool for 10 minutes on the pans, then transfer to the racks to cool completely. When cool, store in air-tight containers for up to a week or in the freezer for up to one month.