4 35 Published Nov 16, 2021, Updated Jan 16, 2024
What is Rugalach?
Rugelach is a Jewish pastry that literally means “little twist” in Yiddish. I went the traditional route and made crescent-shaped rugelach with real butter, sugar, cream cheese and chocolate. <– What some might call the good stuff! I’m all for healthifying recipes but since this was my first time making rugelach I stuck with the real deal. I wanted it to be authentic and taste amazing as I was making it for Isaac’s family!
Here’s What You Need
unsalted butter – make sure it is at room temperature before starting the recipe. cream cheese – again, make sure it’s at room temperature! sugar – I used good ol’ white sugar in this recipe. Making the real deal! eggs – you’ll separate out the yolks from the whites. The yolks will go in the dough while the whites will be beaten for an egg wash at the end so the dough gets golden brown during baking. vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer. salt – just a hint in the dough and the filling to bring the flavors together. all-purpose flour – again, I used white all-purpose flour. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flours but you could try swapping this for a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend. walnuts – you’ll pulse the walnuts with cinnamon, sugar and salt and then layer with the nutella for the ultimate nutty, chocolatey filling. cinnamon – the perfect spice pairing for this treat. nutella – my special addition! You’ll spread this on the dough and top with the walnut mixture. It can help to warm the nutella slightly so it spreads easier.
How to Make Nutella Rugelach
Start by beating the room temperature butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start slow and increase to medium speed until well combined. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, combining after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. You should now have dough! Divide into three pieces, pat into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. This makes the dough firmer, easier to work with and helps with the rising process… don’t skip this step! After your dough has chilled, combine the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt into a food processor and pulse until fine. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than 1/8 inch thick. Starting with your disc, roll back and forth until you have a small oval. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll back and forth again until a circle is formed. Repeat until the desired thickness is reached. Carefully spread the nutella on the dough and sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture. Gently press the ingredients into the dough with your fingers. Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges (like you would cut a pizza!). Beginning at the larger base of each wedge, roll to enclose the filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch to seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush tops with beaten egg white and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
How to Serve
Allow the rugelach to cool on a wire rack and then dive in! I recommend serving them warm right out of the oven but you can also make them ahead to serve later.
How to Store Nutella Rugelach
If you make this rugelach ahead of time or just have leftovers you need to store, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 5-7 days. You can refrigerate for longer storage.
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