Rugelach (Jewish Cream Cheese Crescent Pastry)
Rugelach are crescent-shaped pastries from the Jewish baking tradition, made with a cream cheese dough that is rolled into a circle, spread with apricot jam, and scattered with chopped walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon before being cut into wedges and rolled from the wide end to the tip. The cream cheese gives the dough a slight tang and an unusually tender crumb, while the butter in the mix creates flaky layers as moisture escapes during baking. Each small pastry delivers a concentrated burst of flavor - the fruit acidity of the jam, the oily richness of walnuts, and the warm spice of cinnamon all arriving together. The dough must be kept cold throughout the shaping process; if it warms and softens, the pastries lose their defined spiral and become difficult to handle. A thin layer of jam is essential - too much causes it to bubble out of the seams and burn on the pan. Once baked and cooled, the exterior is crisp and golden while the interior remains slightly chewy where the filling has caramelized against the dough.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Mix flour, cream cheese, and butter into dough and chill.
- 2
Roll dough into a circle and spread jam thinly.
- 3
Sprinkle chopped walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon evenly.
- 4
Cut into wedges and roll from wide end to tip.
- 5
Bake at 180C for 20-22 minutes and cool before serving.
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