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Multiple rugelach on a counter.
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Rugelach

A mix between cookie and pastry, Rugelach is a delicious traditional Jewish dessert that is perfect for the holidays! They're so tender and flakey, thanks to the cream cheese dough.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 24 servings
Calories 158kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Rolling Pin
  • Baking Sheets

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed (170g)
  • 6 ounces cold cream cheese cubed (170g)

Filling and Assembly:

  • ¾ cup walnuts (80g)
  • ⅓ cup raisins (60g)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons raspberry or apricot jam divided
  • 1 large egg well beaten
  • coarse sugar

Instructions

For the Dough:

  • In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt. Pulse a few times. Add the butter and cream cheese, pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand but hasn’t started to form a dough ball. Transfer to the counter and knead into a ball. Divide the ball in half and shape each into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

For the Filling and Assembly:

  • Position an oven rack in the top third and preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Finely chop the walnuts and raisins and place in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and cinnamon, and stir until combined.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a 1/8-inch-thick round and trim to a 10-inch circle. Spread with half of the jam, leaving about a ½ border at the edge. Cut the circle into quarters and cut each quarter into thirds, creating 12 triangles. Sprinkle the jam with half of the nut mixture.
  • Starting at the widest end, roll each triangle up towards the tip like a crescent roll. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush each cookie with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with coarse sugar.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Instead of topping with coarse sugar, sprinkle the top of the rugelach with colorful and festive sprinkles for the holidays.
  • If you do not have a food processor, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter and cream cheese before mixing it with the flour mixture.
  • Adding too much flour will lead to the dough being stiff and dry. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is by using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.
  • Don’t skip chilling the dough. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax and prevents your crust from shrinking too much in the oven.
  • If the dough is crumbly, add a tablespoon of water to it and continue to knead it until it’s the right consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg