What your best Rugelach Recipe? welcome all tried & tru + any filling variations
Rugelach! (IMHO) The pefect coffee companion.
This time of year, I'll double situp reps just to eat as many of these flaky delights as I can. My great grandmothers recipe is a keeper but I would love to expand on filling variations and any tried & true dough tips.
Here's mine:
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup rough chopped raisins
DIRECTIONS:
Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.
Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks...wrap each disk and chill 2 hours.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins.
Roll each disk into a 9 inch round.
Sprinkle each round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden.
Should make about 50 cookies.
HillJ
Dec 03, 2006 08:16PM
Cook's Illustrated had a great recipe. Let me see if I can dig it up for you.
Permalink | Reply
Thanks, I welcome the recipe :)
Permalink | Reply
Yes! Their recipe is fantastic. As for variations, I've always meant to try a Nutella filling.
Permalink | Reply
I do this recipe as well and do a nutella-heath bar version that's a huge hit. I spread the nutella -soften it a bit in microwave first as it's very thick - and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture (you need it as nutella is actually not very sweet and, as you know, the dough has no sugar)and then press in heath bits (they sell them in the bag in the baking section. I use the ones that are just the brittle. Then roll as usual. They come out great.
Permalink | Reply
Here is the para-phrased Cook's Illustrated recipe. You can of course look up the 2 page article via their web site or the library to get the always thorough low-down. (I highly recommend their Danish recipe too!)
These are apricot/walnut (my favorite, but you can easily sub chopped dried fruit: prunes, cherries, cranberries, currants, raspberry preserves and chocolate etc.
Here is the original name in case you want to find the article. The author is Lisa Yockelson.
Crescent-Shaped Rugelach w/Raisin-Walnut Filling
Dough:
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2) ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T sugar
1/4 t salt
2 sticks (8 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 " pieces
8 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2" chunks
2 T sour cream
Filling:
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
1 T cinnamon
2/3 cup apricot preserves (process if necessary to break up big chunks)
1 cup golden (or other) raisins
2 1/4 cup (9 oz) walnuts, chopped fine
Glaze:
2 large egg yolks
2 T milk
Directions:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse to mix. Add butter, cream cheese and sour cream, process until dough comes together in small uneven, cottage cheese-like curds. About 15 pulses.
For Crescent-shaped: Turn mixture out and press into a 9" x6" log. Divide into 4 equal portions. Press into a 4 1/2" disk. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll into an 8 1/2" circle. Stack dough on a plate and "freeze" for 30 minutes (or in freezer bags for up to a month for future baking).
For "Roulades": Roll into four 7" x 11" rectangles.
Stack dough on a plate and "freeze" for 15 minutes (or in freezer bags for up to a month for future baking).
Filling: Mix cinnamon and sugar, set aside. Line 2 heavy rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one circle or roulade at a time, remove dough from freezer and spread 2 1/2 T preserves, 1/4 cup raisins, 2 T cinnamon-sugar, and 1/2 cup walnuts over dough. Pat gently with your fingers.
Crescent-shaped:Cut dough into 8 wedges and roll up from wide to the narrow pointed end. Place 2" apart on prepared sheets and freeze for 15 minutes.
Traditional-shaped (from rolled-up dough[roulade]): Starting from long-side, roll dough tightly into a long cylinder. Try to keep the filling in the dough as much as possible. Trim each end of cylinder to get a nice clean edge. Cut into 1" pieces. Place 2" apart on sheet. Place seam side down on baking sheets and freeze for 15 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 375F. Whisk egg yolks and milk together and brush this over the tops and sides of "frozen" rugelach. Bake in middle (upper-middle and lower-middle racks) for 21-23 minutes until pale gold and slightly puffy. Rotate baking sheets if necessary as in front-to-back and/or shelf-to-shelf halfway through baking time.
Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately upon leaving the oven. Carefully transfer to wire rack for cooling. Store for 4 days OR freeze.
These were so, so tasty. What can be bad with butter, cream cheese, sour cream and apricots?
Permalink | Reply
When I realized the rugelach at Costco were so much better than anything I ever fixed, I gave up.
I applaud you for doing it the right way.
Permalink | Reply
Costco rugelach remind me of mini danish but I remember tasting the raspberry vers. and liking it. If I remember correctly, they offer a variety pack, yes?
Permalink | Reply
When they first appeared, they weren't all that great, except for the raspberry, which was very, very good (you have a fine memory!). But, over the years, they've gotten so good, it's almost illegal. My experience with Costco bakeries, though, is that they're top-notch.
I don't think they come in anything except a variety pack. Otherwise, I'd just buy the raspberry.
Permalink | Reply
Brown sugar and Cinnamon is a classic filling, as is chocolate chip/mocha, fruit jams can be utilized, apples/Cinnamon, I have fulled them with ground pistachios/dates and honey.
You are only limited by your imagination, so don't be afraid to try something different.
Permalink | Reply
Kelli, question: when you use apples how do you prepare the apple mixture (fresh tiny chopped pieces, sweetened in a cinnamon sauce). Please explain :)
Permalink | Reply
I like to puree them to a consistency of a very thick apple butter. The addition of a bit of corn starch and some walnuts are always welcome.
P.S. Rugelach dough is very sticky, and the use of a chilled stone surface to work on will make the job much less stressful.
Permalink | Reply
Thank you very much for both tips!
Permalink | Reply
The last time I made them, I couldn't find my rolling pin, so I used a large stoneware bottle of beer that happened to be in my fridge, and covered the dough with a sheet of waxed paper while rolling to prevent sticking. Working with a cold "rolling pin" made the process easier.
Permalink | Reply
I have had great success with the traditional apricot jelly + poppyseeds, chocolate chips, fig jam, walnuts, and once in an attempt to use up leftovers I tried putting apricot jelly with chocolate chips, and it was really delicious and surprising.
Permalink | Reply
I love Lora Brody's recipe, included in RLB's book:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...
It's almost identical to the Barefoot Contessa recipe.
I kept a bunch in the freezer to bake as desired.
Permalink | Reply
Anya L..do you freeze the cookies prep'd for baking or freeze just the dough?
Permalink | Reply
I freeze them after they are filled and rolled. The jam is kind of gooey, so I layer them on sheets of parchment paper. Then I just transfer the rugelach and parchment to a baking sheet, brush the rugelach with milk, and bake.
Permalink | Reply
Def. doubling the batch for futuring baking. Thanks for the tips!
Permalink | Reply
I do her recipe as well. I usually just freeze the dough. Make a big batch in the processor, freeze the dough and as needed roll them out and bake.
Or, I make the cookies then freeze the finished product. Both works just fine.
Permalink | Reply
Good to know, thanks OUB!
Permalink | Reply
Yes indeed! Those are my favorites as well. I freeze them ready for baking but without the milk/sugar glaze. Just bake, right from the freezer, an additional couple of minutes. Really, truly, the best rugelach I've ever had.
Permalink | Reply
Here's my recipe for Rugelach. It's gotten lots of raves -- it was one of two recipes that my mom always asked me to make for her (a supreme compliment -- she was a great cook.)
Rugelach
1 cup Butter, softened
6 ounces Cream cheese, room temp
3 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 cup Zante currants or seedless raisins
1/2 cup Chopped walnuts
3/4 cup Jam (apricot, strawberry or raspberry)
1 Egg, mixed with
1 tablespoon Water
1/4 cup sugar, NOT superfine
Combine the butter and cream cheese and beat until well mixed. Add the flour and salt, and mix until completely blended. The dough will be easier to handle if you wrap and chill it for about an hour. I divide the dough into 6 balls and them press them into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap and then chill.
Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add the raisins and nuts, and toss to coat all the pieces.
Preheat the oven to 375 F, and get out some cookie sheets. Keep chilled any dough you are not working on.
Roll 1 of the disks into an 8-inch circle. Spread with 2 tablespoons jam and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar-raisin-nut mixture. Cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges (I use a pizza cutter.) Beginning at the wide end, roll toward the point, forming a crescent shape. Repeat with the other disks.
Place the cookies point sides down, about 1" apart on the ungreased cookie sheets that are lined with silicone baking liners.
Mix together the egg and water and brush over the top of each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with a little of the remaining 1/4 cup sugar or just dip into the sugar to coat.
Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Makes 48 Rugelach.
adapted from a recipe by Marion Cunningham in The Fanny Farmer Baking Book
Permalink | Reply
Funny - am just sitting down now after an all-day bake-a-thon, including the Barefoot Contessa's rugelach recipe. This was my first attempt at baking rugelach myself - they turned out well, I think (although I'm on sugar-overload from all my taste-testing all day). The family heartily approves of them, for what it's worth. I did 1/2 w/apricot jam and 1/2 w/raspberry. I like raspberry more.
I will also give props to the Costco rugelach - although they're a different breed from my and most homemade rugelach I've tasted - Costco's are more pastry-ish, as another poster said, and they're richer. They do come in a combo-package and raspberry are my favorite there, too.
Permalink | Reply
Wonderful, I'm going to divide the dough and make several fruit variations.
Question: When you make say a raspberry vers. do you still add raisins? Are currants better or just a preference?
When making poppy seed vers. do you omit the other filling ingredients?
Permalink | Reply
I added raisins to my raspberry rugelach and it's good.
Permalink | Reply
I've made the following recipe (handed down through two generations although I think the original source was a local newspaper) for years also to rave reviews. Like Nancy Berry, I also use a pizza cutter to divide the dough; but when I'm lazy, I roll the dough into a rectagular shape instead of a circle, and just cut straight strips to roll up as they roll up much faster and oftentimes much neater than when you do it the correct way (crescent shapes). These freeze very well and come to room temperature quite quickly so that they are a good treat to always keep on hand for surprise company or just a nice treat for yourself.
Rugelach
In mixing bowl, combine 2 cups sifted all purpose flour, 1 cup (1⁄2 lb) unsalted butter, 8 oz. Cream cheese. Mix well. Form into 4 balls of pastry. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate at least two hours (pref longer). On floured surface, roll each piece into a 1/4 inch thick round approx. 10-12 inch in diameter.
In small mix bowl, mix together, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tblsp cinnamon, 1⁄2 cup raisins, and 1⁄2 cups chopped walnuts.
Sprinkle mixture onto dough.
Cut into wedges. Roll into crescents.
Spread on greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.. Makes about 4 dozen.
Permalink | Reply
Thank you, I'm building a wonderful Rugelach recipe collection as a result of CH help!
Permalink | Reply
My mother's rugelach recipe is the only recipe I have that I will not, under any circumstances, share. It is, however, pretty similar to zook's.
A few tips and/or suggestions:
Don't waste your time on parve rugelach. If you can't do dairy, bake something else.
Cream cheese is the key.
A cool day and a marble or granite countertop really help in rolling out the dough.
A pizza wheel makes cutting a breeze.
A pie divider, available at restaurant supply stores, make cutting your dough into equal sized triangle fool-proof (for those of us who are geometricly challenged).
Distribute the filling around the outer half of the dough so that when you roll the dough the filling is pushed toward the center, not out onto your board.
Make a double batch. One batch is never enough.
Permalink | Reply
Thanks Rockycat, I appreciate the tips!
Permalink | Reply
Brilliant tips, especially that outer half one! Thank you! :-)
Permalink | Reply
I've used fig jam and ground crystalized ginger and almonds as a filling. Today I'm making some with apricot jam,candied pecans & dried cranberries.
Permalink | Reply
oh my...if we only had smell-o-vision! those variations sounds wonderful.
Permalink | Reply
I'm going to attempt a new filling. I have some dried figs plumping up as we speak. I was going to make some fig newton type cookies but I think I might try a lemon mascarpone spread with chopped figs & pistachioes. I'll post on how they turned out & maybe a pic or two if I can.
Permalink | Reply
sb..your variations are right up my alley. very creative ideas. anything that involves a pistachio gets my attention. thanks.
Permalink | Reply
Did it work?
Permalink | Reply
After 2 tries I got it to work. I used cream cheese instead..it was more stable. I took 8 oz cream cheese, 1 egg , zest of 1 lemon & 1 tbl of lemon juice & creamed it. With the rehydrated figs & the pistachioes they were pretty good.
I had totally forgotten to post pics. I just started a new job about 2 days after my last post & just got too busy.
Permalink | Reply
Good! Sounds like you work. But, what's up with the egg? I see snail recipes that use egg instead of jam and I am confused because I think the egg would make the cookies spoil more quicky.
Are figs and pistachio a yummy filling?
Permalink | Reply
I treid my hand at making it this year and nervouly took it to our Interfaith Hanukkah party. When I advised that I had made the rugalach, I was then asked: what Jewish grandmother taught you how to make these? They are wonderful!
The recipe I used does not have the sour cream that I see in most recipes, but my double batch disappeared quickly.
I used the Cranberry-Pecan recipe from the December 2004 issue of Southern Living.
Permalink | Reply