Rugelach Cookies
2020 is my year to let no grocery item go to waste and sitting in my refrigerator, was a good amount of fig pulp that needed to be used up — a by-product of making fig syrup for a spirit-free cocktail. I thought about making fig muffins or homemade fig newtons but then rugelach hit me like a lightning bolt. Rugelach is a Jewish cookie that is traditionally made with a yeasted or laminated dough. At some point, cream cheese replaced the yeast hastening the process, there’s an interesting story about that here. The cream-cheese dough is rolled into a thin circle, smeared with jam, chocolate, nuts or other fillings and cut into triangles which are then rolled into mini-crescents. The finished product is baked to golden perfection offering alternating layers of buttery, flaky pastry and sticky sweet filling. This fairly straight-forward recipe was the perfect use for my leftover fig jam but it can be adapted to almost any combo that suits you best — nutella and hazelnut, fruit jam, chocolate chips, cinnamon & walnuts, or even something savory like caramelized onions, fresh thyme and gruyere. I took the time to roll each triangle into a crescent but I’ve also seen recipes where the dough is rolled into a log and then sliced into 1 inch pieces. Choose your own adventure but definitely don’t skip the finishing sugar (I used sugar in the raw), it adds a satisfying crunchy texture to the cookie.
Rugelach Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter (cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
8 oz cream cheese cold
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose white flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp orange zest (optional but it’s a nice compliment to chocolate and fig)
For the Filling
1 1/2 cups fig preserves (or 13 oz jar of preserve of your choice, I recommend Bonne Maman)
1 cup pecans ground (or nut of your choice)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Topping
1 egg
1 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
4 tbsp sparkling sugar or Sugar in the Raw
Instructions
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Turn the mixer to medium-low and mix until everything comes together, but the butter is still pea sized, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl using a spatula.
Add the flour, orange zest (if using) and salt. Turn the mixer to low; mix until just combined.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two equal pieces (I did 4 pieces). Shape each piece into a round disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
Combine the nuts and cinnamon, set aside.
Make the Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the egg wash: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Set aside.
Remove a disk of dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to a round that’s 1/4-inch thick. Cut out a 12-inch circle with a dinner plate. You can use the leftover scraps to form another dough ball and repeat the process.
Spread the fig jam evenly over the round, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the cinnamon and nut mixture evenly over the jam. Using your palm, gently press the walnuts into the filling. Using a pizza wheel cut the round into equal wedges (the number will depend on how far you rolled out the dough and how small or large you want your cookies). Starting at the outside edge, gently roll up each wedge to create a crescent shape. Place the rolled cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining disk of dough and filling.
Lightly brush the cookies with the egg wash using the pastry brush. Sprinkle the cookies with the sparkling sugar.
Bake the cookies for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Switch the baking sheets between racks and rotate the pans from front to back halfway through the baking.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pans before transferring the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.
The video below will show you the basics of this recipe but I made a few changes (orange zest instead of cardamom, pecans instead of walnuts and I divided the dough into 4 pieces to make smaller cookies). Feel free to adapt the recipe and make it your own by using different fillings.