Rugelach (Jewish Cream Cheese Crescent Pastry)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 137 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
No yeast and no butter folds: this dough is just flour with cream cheese and butter worked in, then chilled until firm enough to roll.
Read more
Apricot jam, finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon sugar are spread over each round, which is cut into 12 wedges and rolled into crescents, 24 in total. If the dough cracks at the edges while rolling, give it a minute to soften rather than forcing it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Cut 120g cold cream cheese and 120g butter into small pieces and mix with 200g flour just until the dough holds when pressed.
Divide into two equal disks, wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until firm but pliable enough to roll.
- 2
Keep one disk refrigerated.
Roll the other between sheets of baking parchment to a circle about 25cm across and 3-4mm thick. If the edges crack, let it soften briefly; if it becomes sticky, chill it again.
- 3
Spread 40g of the apricot jam in a thin layer over the first circle.
Reserve the other 40g for the second disk and avoid thick pools of jam.
- 4
Finely chop 70g walnuts and mix with 50g sugar and 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon.
Spread half over the jam and press lightly to anchor it; reserve the rest for the second circle.
- 5
Cut each circle into 12 equal wedges and roll from the wide edge to the point.
Set all 24 pastries point-side down with space between them on lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 180°C.
- 6
Bake at 180°C, checking after 20-22 minutes.
Look for golden tops and bases without wet-looking dough, and bake longer if needed. Cool on the pan for about 10 minutes so the jam sets before moving the pastries.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Rugelach
MaryJane Robbins / King Arthur Baking · Checked: 2026-09-12
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