Texture has so much to do with the appeal of a cookie – whether you’re going for crispy, chewy or melt-in-your-mouth, The Globe’s food columnist Julie Van Rosendaal will guide you to that perfect texture with a Cookie of the Week recipe throughout December.
Rugelach are a great way to use the ends of jam jars and and to spread pricier ingredients such as nuts and chocolate further.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Rugelach is a common part of Jewish celebrations such as Hanukkah, but it’s one of my go-to cookies year-round for a few reasons: besides being delicious, they’re fancy-ish without the need to decorate and great to make with kids – one batch of dough gets divided into four pieces, so everyone can roll and fill their own however they like.
As with any cookie, there are as many ways to shape and fill rugelach as there are kitchens they’re baked in, but the dough itself is commonly made with one part butter, one part cream cheese and two parts flour, with a small quantity of sugar – much less than a typical cookie, as the filling is usually sweet. The protein and moisture in the cream cheese makes a soft, tender dough that’s traditionally filled with ingredients such as apricot and other fruit jams and preserves, cinnamon sugar, chopped chocolate and walnuts, or even sprinkles.
If you’re baking on your own, there’s the option to roll and bake one disc of dough for a more manageable batch of a dozen small two-bite cookies, and freeze the rest for another day. Or, you can fill each circle of dough with something different for an assortment of flavours in one batch of cookies. It’s a great way to use the ends of jam jars and and to spread pricier ingredients such as nuts and chocolate further.
Rugelach
There’s no need to precisely measure the fillings for your rugelach. Thinly spread each circle of dough with preserves, sprinkle with finely chopped chocolate and/or nuts, and if you like, cinnamon sugar. (There is no precise ratio for cinnamon sugar, but if you’d like some direction, aim for about a teaspoon of cinnamon per 1/4 cup of sugar.) Pictured here is a marmalade and dark chocolate-filled rugelach – a delicious combo.
Dough:
- 1 cup butter (or brick-style plant butter), softened
- 1 cup (one 250 g package) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling:
- Apricot jam, marmalade, tahini or other preserves
- Finely chopped dark chocolate and/or nuts
- Cinnamon sugar (optional)
- Lightly beaten egg, cream or oat milk, for brushing (optional)
- Icing sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth, creamy and lump-free; add the flour and salt and beat on low speed (the paddle attachment works well for thick doughs like this) until you have a soft dough.
Divide the dough into quarters, shape each into a disc and let rest for at least 15 minutes (this will allow the gluten to relax), or wrap and refrigerate (this might be necessary if your dough is very soft) for up to several days. The dough also freezes very well.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece out into about a 10-inch circle. Spread fairly thinly (so it doesn’t ooze out) with jam, marmalade, tahini or other preserves. Sprinkle with finely chopped chocolate and/or nuts and if you like, a bit of cinnamon sugar. (Resist loading on too much, so the filling doesn’t spill out.)
Cut the circle into quarters, and then each quarter into three, making 12 wedges. Roll each one up like a croissant, from the wide end to the tip, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the tip underneath so it doesn’t unfurl or burn in the oven. If you like, brush the tops with a little beaten egg, cream or oat milk (or a combination of egg and cream or oat milk – a bit of liquid makes egg easier to brush) for a glossy finish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle with icing sugar once cool, if you like.
Makes four dozen rugelach.
