Rugelach (Jewish Cream Cheese Crescent Pastry)

Quick answer

Total time: 52 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

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.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

all-purpose flour200 gg

cream cheese120 gg

butter120 gg

sugar50 gg

apricot jam80 gg

walnuts70 gg

ground cinnamon½ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Mix the cold cream cheese, 120 g, and butter, 120 g, into 200 g all-purpose flour until a dough forms.

Stop before it turns greasy, gather it into one mass, and chill until firm enough to roll.
2

Step

Take out the cold dough and roll it into an even circle.

If it sticks to your hands or the edges start to sag, return it to the refrigerator and firm it again before continuing.
3

Control

Spread 80 g apricot jam in a very thin, even layer over the surface.

Avoid piling it up, because thick spots bubble through the seams and burn during baking, so just cover any bare patches.
4

Season

Finely chop 70 g walnuts, then scatter them with 50 g sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Press the filling lightly into the jam so it does not slide out while the wedges are rolled.
5

Prep

Cut the circle into wedges like a pizza, then roll each piece from the wide end toward the tip.

Place them seam side down on the baking pan with space between them so the spirals hold.
6

Heat

Bake at 180°C for 20-22 minutes, until the outside is golden and the edges look crisp.

Remove from the oven and let the pastries cool so the caramelized jam firms before serving.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Cream cheese dough rolled, spread with apricot jam, and curled into crescents defines Rugelach.
Finish cue: Bake at 180°C for 20-22 minutes, until the outside is golden and the edges look crisp.
Avoid this: Avoid thick jam layers to prevent leakage.
Storage and reheating: If it sticks to your hands or the edges start to sag, return it to the refrigerator and firm it again before continuing.