Tuesdays with Dorie: Rugelach
November 4, 2008 at 1:10 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 55 Comments
We have made it back to New York, safe and sound. Thanks so much for all the well-wishes in the past few posts! Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to a more regular blog-checking schedule now. We’re staying in a temporary furnished apartment all the way downtown in the Financial District. Strange place to live, but hopefully we’ll find a “real” apartment of our own soon. At least this place has a big oven, so I was able to crank out the Rugelach that Grace of Piggy’s Cooking Journal chose for TWD this week.
I don’t have any fond childhood memories or stories of rugelach. In fact, I’d never had them before I moved to New York, and I’d never made them myself till the other day. If you’re not too familiar with rugelach either, it’s basically a cream cheese pastry that’s rolled out, schmeared with a sweet filling, and rolled up. They kinda look like mini croissants, no?
Dorie suggests using the food processor to bring the dough together. I won’t see my Cuisinart anytime soon (it’s been living in a storage facility, along with all my plug-in kitchen appliances, in New Jersey for the past couple of years), so I made it by hand…just a half recipe. It was super-easy, too. Rather than using cold butter and cream cheese, I brought them to cool room temperature, then just used my right hand to squish them together with the dry ingredients. No utensils needed, and very little chance of overworking the dough.
You can be really flexible with rugelach filling. I used apricot jam, cinnamon sugar, walnuts and dried cherries. You can use whatever jam you like (or no jam at all), different nuts, different dried fruits…Dorie even adds chocolate. I left that out of mine because I don’t like fruit and chocolate combos. I made a bit too much cinnamon sugar, so I sprinkled a little extra on top before baking. It’s important to chop up the chunky ingredients, like nuts and fruit, pretty well, because big bits can make the cookies hard to roll up neatly.
I think they came out quite cute, if I do say so myself. After rolling the cookies into crescents, I stuck them in the fridge for a couple hours. That way, they were nice and firm, and held together well in the oven. There was a little jam leakage out the sides, but nothing major, and I was able to pick it off when I lifted them off the sheet tray. These cookies are just lighty sweet from the filling (the dough has no sugar at all), and really good with the warm beverage of your choice. I think I’m gonna put a few of these in a baggie and munch on them while I wait in line to VOTE today!!
The recipe, of course, is in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, but she also has it here on NPR’s site. And for some extra rugelach tips and flavor suggestions, read this post on Dorie’s site. Don’t forget to read Grace’s write-up and check out the TWD Blogroll to see what a zillion-trillion other people had to say!
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a whisk and a spoon 
yummm … i love rugelach so it was no hardship making it this week. your croissants are divine looking, i did pinwheels for lack of croissant-rolling skills!
Comment by Mara— November 4, 2008 #
This looks very nice and tasty !
Comment by mary— November 4, 2008 #
these look so yummy. I would try them with nutella and crushed hazelnuts 🙂
Comment by snooky doodle— November 4, 2008 #
simply gorgeous! i’ve made these from DG’s book and they truly are wonderful! just reminded me that i need to make these again!
Comment by Meeta— November 4, 2008 #
I never had it before I made it myself either – and I really enjoyed them. They were yummy, flaky little sweet bites that were hard to stop at one!
Comment by HoneyB— November 4, 2008 #
I would agree – those are too pretty and cute. Definitely munchable.
Comment by Caitlin— November 4, 2008 #
Wow! Golden and beautiful! I use to make rugelach with an other recipe in wich you have to bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature and I have found the result exactly the same!
Comment by Julie— November 4, 2008 #
They look amazing. Welcome back to the states!
Comment by Landa— November 4, 2008 #
Great looking rugelach, I like the idea of sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top of the pastry, it makes the cookies look more appealing!
Comment by Piggy— November 4, 2008 #
Looks stunning!
Comment by VeggieGirl— November 4, 2008 #
LOL @ jam leakage. I had MAJOR jam leakage on mine. Love that you sprinkled the cinnamon+sugar on top of the rugelach too. That last picture is gorgeous! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Clara @ iheartfood4thought
Comment by CB— November 4, 2008 #
these are beautiful! I made mmine the same way – half a recipe and by hand!
Comment by Susan— November 4, 2008 #
Your pictures are always beautiful!!! Good job getting together by hand! 🙂 Glad you were able to crank them out even without your trusty appliances!
Comment by Karen— November 4, 2008 #
I left mine in the fridge for a couple of hours too. They were rock hard, but no filling escaped either.
Yours look wonderful
Comment by chocolatechic— November 4, 2008 #
I learned the “make the innards really small” lesson as well. Yours look delicious!
Comment by Jules— November 4, 2008 #
I made a half batch as well, and used my pastry blender to get it all together. Yours came out super cute – and I avoided the rolling process by making them into bars. Yum!
Comment by Megan— November 4, 2008 #
They are quite cute! Good to know you can make them easily without a food processor, too.
Comment by Jessica— November 4, 2008 #
This recipe was a hit in our house and yours look absolutely tasty!
Comment by Ulrike— November 4, 2008 #
Good to hear that you’re getting settled again. Your rugelach look really tasty!
Comment by Di— November 4, 2008 #
These look JUST like the ones my Bubbie used to make! Great job.
I’m a fellow TWD baker, and I was thinking that it would be nice if we all could chip in and get Laurie some small token/gift for all the work she does. Would you be willing to contribute? If I can get enough people, it would only be about $1 per person. No pressure 🙂 Let me know! bethberg12@yahoo.com
Comment by Beth— November 4, 2008 #
Im with ya on the chocolate and fruit combos. Im not a fan either. Your rugelach look perfect, as always! Glad you are settling into the states, but I have to admit, I miss your Monday TWD posts!
Comment by L W— November 4, 2008 #
Great looking rugelach. Im glad you made it back from NY safe and sound! I really enjoyed this recipe!
Comment by Michelle— November 4, 2008 #
Oh my goodness. That might just be the best looking rugelach I’ve ever seen!
Comment by amanda— November 4, 2008 #
your rugelach came out looking great, all perfectly rolled the same! i’d prolly eat them all before i even got on line to vote!
Comment by mimi— November 4, 2008 #
Simply beautiful as usual, Steph!
Weren’t those easy? Quite a quickly made treat, really!
Comment by Vibi— November 4, 2008 #
they are adorable! glad you enjoyed them… perfect back-in-nyc recipe 😉 good to know they are pretty easy to do without the FP.
Comment by kim— November 4, 2008 #
Oh, I feel for you on the move! Hope you feel at home soon. These look lovely. I see a TWD Rewind in my future.
Comment by Rebecca— November 4, 2008 #
wow, they look just perfect – I am so going to have to make these again!
Comment by Tammy— November 4, 2008 #
I’d never had these either until working at the bakery I’m now at. We make one that has a sweetened creamcheese filling that we then sprinkle with chocolate and cinnamon before rolling up, and we use to have a dried fig/raspberry jam/walnut one. So heavenly! I’m allergic to nuts, but sometimes I’d nibble one and face the consequences.
Comment by Pinky— November 4, 2008 #
These look absolutely fantastic. Sweetly browned. Heavenly.
Comment by teaandscones— November 4, 2008 #
They do look wonderful – one of my favourite to make, freeze and pull out when necessary. I’ve always used the Ina Garten recipe but I will have to try this one.
Comment by giz— November 4, 2008 #
If I was a Rugelach Modeling Agency, I would beg your rugelaches to model for me! WOW, those look GORGEOUS, darling! Excellent work! Please save me some.
Comment by Sugar B— November 4, 2008 #
Absolutely gorgeous, no need to say any more. Great job. Gold Star. AND a smiley face!
Comment by Kayte— November 4, 2008 #
Great pictures!I love your flavors!
Comment by Hannah— November 4, 2008 #
Great job! Your rugelach look delicious! Welcome back to the States!
Comment by Heather B— November 4, 2008 #
Wow – with all your move and everything you put me to shame this week. I could not make the rugelach due to kitchen remodeling. I had no countertops to roll any dough on for one thing. And yet you amazingly made yours. I’m jealous. They look delicious. I can’t wait to make them!
Comment by Peggy— November 4, 2008 #
Welcome back to the states, and I hope you will get settled in quickly!
Really great job making these w/o your FP…they look beautiful!!!!
Comment by Linda— November 4, 2008 #
I agree, they are pretty darn cute! These are one of my all time fav cookies! Great pics BTW! 🙂
Comment by Gigi— November 4, 2008 #
Amazing photos! Great combination of flavours.
Comment by Liliana— November 4, 2008 #
If I do say so, that cinnamon sugar on top is beautiful.
Comment by rainbowbrown— November 4, 2008 #
I am so used to your posts being up on Monday a couple of hours early that I forgot you were moving! So glad it went well! Your Rugelach turned out beautifully.
Comment by Mary Ann— November 5, 2008 #
Stunning rugelach! This was my first time making them as well, and I loved them. I found the chocolate in my fruit filled version to just confuse things, so maybe I learned I am not a chocolate and fruit person either. How exciting to get to see all of your kitchen equipment soon!
Comment by Carol Peterman— November 5, 2008 #
Wow, your rugelach looks amazing! Great pics!
Comment by mybakingaddiction— November 5, 2008 #
YUM! Glad you made it to NY safely!
Comment by Jennifer— November 5, 2008 #
wowwwww, your rugelach turned out beautifully!
great jobbb
Comment by bronte— November 5, 2008 #
Those look perfect- wow! Glad you had a safe trip! 🙂
Comment by Anne— November 6, 2008 #
I like the extra cinnamon sugar on top! I was really pleased with this recipe, and will definitely make these again!
Comment by Mari— November 6, 2008 #
Very cute – I like how yours turned out!
Comment by Gretchen Noelle— November 6, 2008 #
Cute…woohooo…I love them. They are ooozingly delicious!
Comment by Deeba— November 8, 2008 #
Beautiful! Perfectly golden. They look delicious!
Comment by LyB— November 9, 2008 #
I love your tip to chill them before baking and to chop up the bits more finely so that rolling is easier. Yours look perfect, and welcome back to North America!!
Comment by Shari— November 9, 2008 #
Fabulous, as always!!! Next time, I’m making mine in a loaf pan, too!!
Comment by Amanda— November 11, 2008 #
I love rugelach and CAN’T WAIT to make it for the holidays this year. They were a BIG hit last year and have already been requested. You just can’t go wrong with cream cheese in the dough. MMmmmmmm!
Comment by Janna from Honeyed Hashette— November 11, 2008 #
Lovely…you’re work always is.
(your link on the TWDBWJ site shows message as: error 404)
I went to the internet, typed in your blog name and finally was directed here.
~Carmen
http://bakingismyzen.wordpress.com
Comment by Baking is my Zen— March 5, 2012 #
That’s because my BWJ post doesn’t go active till midnight EST. It’s still Monday here.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— March 5, 2012 #