In a mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
Add 1/4 cup sugar, the salt, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
On low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined.
Dump the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper (may need greased if dough is sticky), place another sheet on top, and roll into a disc.
Cur the disc into quarters, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the Filling:
In a food processor, combine 6 Tbsp of white sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, the raisins, and chopped walnuts and blend until very fine - almost a paste consistency.
Assembly:
Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, you can assemble the Rugelach. Work with 1 disc at a time and leave the others in the fridge.
Place a disc between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 9-inch circle.
Spread the dough with 2 Tbsp of apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough.
Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges (cut the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds).
Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge.
Place the pastries, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes.
Baking the Rugelach:
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Brush each cookie with the egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp of milk).
Combine the 3 Tbsp white sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon then sprinkle over the cookies.
*Baking tip: these cookies often end up burning a bit on the bottom before they are completely baked. To keep this from happening, stack 2 cookie sheets together - this will make a thicker pan under the cookies and keep the bottoms from burning.*Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes:
Filling Options: You can fill these with several different combinations. The most common is cinnamon, nuts, & raisins (& jam), but you can also do chopped chocolate (or Nutella) & jam.I discovered that if you go the cinnamon/nut/raisin route, definitely spread a layer of jam (your flavor choice) first. It creates the correct flavor/texture.Make Ahead: I'm not positive how long these stay fresh after being baked, but you could definitely make these up ahead of time, freeze them unbaked, then bake them without thawing - add about 5 minutes onto the baking time. (Some adventurous fillings may not freeze as well, but most fillings freeze fine.)