Rugelach (Four Ways)
Submitted by meika
Rugelach four ways: a single cream cheese pastry dough turned into raspberry-almond crescents, layered chocolate-pecan squares, apricot pockets and honey-pecan triangles. Holiday cookie tray showstopper.
YIELD
40 servingsPREP
4 hrsCOOK
30READY
5 hrsRugelach is a Jewish-American holiday cookie with Eastern European roots, built on a flaky cream cheese pastry that’s tender enough to rival any French pâte brisée. This recipe is genius because it gives you one dough and four completely different cookies, so a single afternoon of baking fills out a whole cookie tray.
The cream cheese is what makes the dough work. The fat content keeps it rich, but the moisture from the cheese also creates steam during baking, which lifts the pastry into delicate flaky layers without a single fold. No laminating, no resting between turns, just butter, cream cheese and flour beaten together and chilled.
Chilling for 3 to 4 hours is the step nobody wants to do and everyone should. Cold dough rolls out without sticking, holds its shape in the oven, and yields the cleanest flaky bake. Skip the chill and you get tough, dense cookies that lose their distinct layers.
The four filling profiles cover the rugelach canon: raspberry-almond is the most traditional, chocolate-pecan is the bakery-window favorite, apricot is the Old World classic, and honey-pecan is the Rosh Hashanah-leaning version. Roll a portion of dough for each so the flavors don’t cross-contaminate.
Chef Tips
- Cream the butter and cream cheese until truly smooth before adding flour. Lumps in the dough mean uneven flakiness.
- Dust the work surface lightly. Too much flour during rolling makes the cookies pasty.
- Roll the sugar twice as instructed. Once hot for stick, again cold for that snowed-over finish.
- Bake the four fillings on separate sheets if possible. Different fillings cook at slightly different rates.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough for a brighter pastry that pairs better with fruit fillings.
- Swap raspberry for fig jam and add a pinch of black pepper for a sophisticated grown-up version.
- Brush the cookies with an egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking for a sparkly crust.
- Serve alongside hot cocoa or sweet tea for a true cookie-tray moment.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream margarine with cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer.
Gradually add flour.
Blend well. Divide dough into four parts.
Chill dough wrapped in waxed paper for 3 to 4 hours.
To shape: On floured surface, roll out one portion and cut into circles w/ round cookie cutter.
(You may need to gently knead in a small amount of additional flour).
Place ½ tsp.
of raspberry filling mixture in center of circle.
Bring up two sides towards center; or you may fold in half and form a crescent.
Roll next portion of dough into a rectangle.
Spread chocolate filling mixture onto it.
Roll 3rd portion of dough into a matching rectangle and cover chocolate rectangle.
Cut into small squares.
With last portion of dough, roll out and cut into circles with cookie cutter.
Place teaspoonful of apricot filling mixture in center of circles.
Top with ½ of a dried apricot Bring two sides of dough towards center.
If desired, with other half of dough, roll into a large circle, then cut into triangles.
Spread apricot, preserve and nut mixture on triangles.
Bake in 350℉ (180℃) oven for 12 to 13 minutes.
While hot, roll in confectioner’s sugar.
Cool and then put in airtight containers.
Later, before serving, roll in confectioner’s sugar again.
Makes 40 cookies.
Keep in airtight containers in a cool place.
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