What are Rugelach Cookies Made Of?

The dough components for rugelach could not be more conventional using only all-purpose flour, Kosher salt, unsalted butter, and cream cheese. Really, whatever you favored filling them with would be up to you. Today, I’m going with apricot jam.

Together with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, the apricot filling mingles with lightly toasted chopped walnuts for a superior, sweet filling that is both tender to the bite and crunchy with nuts.

If apricot jam ‘isn’t your jam’ (see what I did there 🙂 ?) look instead to raspberry jam or another spreadable which is similar in consistency to apricot preserves. Think Nutella, poppy seed filling, mincemeat, brown sugar and cinnamon, or chocolate chips in conjunction with nuts.

What Tools Are Needed for Baking Rugelach?

Just like all other cookies, rugelach requires basic kitchen tools such as parchment paper, a cookie sheet, and a rolling pin. But before I run down the list, this cream cheese dough comes together easiest when combining in a food processor.

For the rest of it, general tools required for baking rugelach include a second prepared baking sheet lined with parchment, three small mixing bowls, a cutting board, baking sheet(s), a serrated knife, pastry brush, and a wire cooling rack.

How to Make Rugelach Cookies

Prep and Preheat

Gather and measure out all of your ingredients and have all kitchen tools at the ready. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In one small bowl, whisk together a quarter cup granulated sugar with a teaspoon-ish of ground cinnamon and just a pinch of cloves. From this mixture, remove a tablespoon to another of the three small bowls. Set both aside.

Make the Dough

Begin by pulsing all-purpose flour together with Kosher salt to combine. Add both COLD butter and COLD cream cheese that you have cubed, and pulse until a crumbly dough forms that holds together when squeezed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead to form a cohesive mass. Use lightly floured hands to shape the dough into a 5 x 4-inch rectangle.

Divide dough using a knife or bench scraper, slicing the rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap each half tightly in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Assemble the Rugelach

Leave one piece of dough in the refrigerator while you work the other into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle on a floured surface. I place a ruler directly in front of my dough, so I am accurate with the size I am rolling.

Notice how LOVELY the dough is to work with, and so soft. IF you feel you need to flour the top as you’re working, do so. Just be sure not to over-flour.

Once you have your 12 x 9-inch rectangle, spread 1/4-cup of the jam over the entire surface. The layer will be thin.

Next, sprinkle with 1/4-cup of the walnuts you have chopped and lightly toasted, followed by half the remaining spiced sugar. Beginning at the wide end, roll the outer edge toward the other edge and into what will look like a log.

Transfer to a prepared baking sheet and pop into your freezer until completely firm, or about 30 minutes. Then repeat with the remaining dough, apricot jam, toasted walnuts, and remaining spiced sugar.

Slice the Cookies and Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and have the second cookie sheet you prepared at the ready. In the last small bowl, whisk a single large room temperature egg.

Transfer each well-chilled log to a cutting board, one at a time. First, trim the edges. Then, use a serrated knife to slice each log into 1-inch wide pieces, yielding approximately 11 rugelach cookies per log.

Place each cookie onto the second prepared baking sheet, dough side up, and space them 1 1/2-inches apart. Freeze 15 minutes more.

Lightly brush the tops of the rugelach with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Sprinkle all with remaining tablespoon of spiced sugar and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

The rugelach will appear golden brown, and the jam will be bubbling slightly around the edges. Using a flat spatula or tongs, immediately transfer the rugelach to a wire rack to cool.

Can You Freeze Rugelach

Rugelach dough or fully assembled UNBAKED rugelach may be stored/wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 4 weeks before pulling out to bake. To thaw them, place still stored/wrapped in the refrigerator overnight.

Serving Rugelach

I enjoy both coffee and tea with rugelach, though tea is considered traditional. These petite pastry cookies are not overly sweet, which is why I also encourage serving them alongside savory appetizers.

Pair the ‘course’ with Champagne or Brut or even sparkling wine. My personal recommendation is Lingot Martin Bugey-Cerdon’s Traditional Sparkling Gamay Rosé, a bottle you can easily pick up in the States for around $24. This sparkling Rosé is apricot’s BFF…

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