Rugelach

Rugelach are the crescent-shaped cookies of the Ashkenazi Jewish baking tradition — tender, cream-cheese pastry rolled around a cinnamon-walnut-raisin filling, baked until golden and dusted with sugar. They came to America with Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and New York bakeries have perfected them ever since: small, buttery, and dangerously easy to eat by the handful.

Why this recipe works: The dough is the star — cream cheese and butter worked into flour until soft and pliable, then chilled. The cream cheese gives the pastry a tender, slightly tangy crumb that stays flaky even after the roll is cut into slices. The filling is simple: brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and raisins, sometimes with a spoonful of apricot jam for moisture.

Key ingredients

• Cream cheese and butter: softened but still cool — the tender pastry base.
• Flour and a pinch of salt: the structure.
• Brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins: the classic filling.
• An egg wash and sanding sugar: the golden finish.

Tips for perfect rugelach

Keep the dough cold — chill it after mixing and again after rolling, or the cookies will spread into flat blobs. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick, spread the filling evenly, and cut it into wedges like a pizza before rolling each wedge from the wide end. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, then bake at 350°F until deep golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely on the pan — they firm up as they cool.

Variations and storage

Fill rugelach with chocolate, apricot jam, or poppy seed paste instead of the classic cinnamon-nut mixture. They keep 5 to 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature and freeze beautifully for up to 3 months — the dough itself also freezes well, rolled and ready to bake.

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