Old world Rugelach cookies
This Rugelach cookies recipe, also known as “rogaliki” in Polish, has been inspired by my grandmother. It’s slightly different then the one I discovered in the U.S., which is typically made with cream cheese and without yeast.
The sour cream difference
In this Rugelach recipe, I use sour cream instead of cream cheese. I also add a teaspoon of active dry yeast. A little bit of yeast helps make these Rugelach cookies airy, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Yeast also adds a more intense taste.
Add some orange or lemon zest to enhance the flavor
To make the cookies more flavorful, I also add lemon zest and some vanilla. When I was growing up in communist Poland, lemons were considered a luxury so they were used only for special occasions. Even rarer were oranges, but when we would get an orange, my grandmother would preserve the skin and later add a sprinkle of orange zest in her baking, including this Rugelach cookies recipe. So, if you prefer the taste of orange, go ahead and replace the lemon zest with orange.
Choose your favorite filling
Rugelach cookies can be made with all types of fillings, ranging from fruit to nuts. My favorite is plum butter or strawberry preserves, but pistachio and cinnamon is wonderful too. My kids’ favorite is chocolate filling.
Few other tips
If you want your cookies to be extra crispy, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. A hint of lemon juice will further enhance the flavor. Also, it’s fine if some of the plum butter overflows while baking. You can remove any excess after the cookies cool off. Don’t worry, they’ll be just as delicious.
Ideal flour
For this recipe my favorite flour is wheat flour from Poland, type 500 “Krupczatka”. Using this coarsely milled flour helps make the cookies airy and crispy. Otherwise, you may also use the all-purpose flour available in Canada and the U.S.
Rugelach Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups wheat flour Type 500 "Krupczatka" or All-Purpose
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 tbs cane or powdered sugar
- 1 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling
- 1 cup plum butter
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, egg yolks, sugar, yeast, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt.
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Mix it well together using a whisk or hand mixer.
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In a separate bowl, combine butter and flour.
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Slowly add the flour combined with butter to the rest of the ingredients, and using your hands, knead all the ingredients until well combined.
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Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. You can also leave it overnight.
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When you're ready to bake your Rugelach cookies, start by preheating the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or about 180° Celsius.
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Remove the dough from the fridge and take half a portion of the dough.
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Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle of about 12 inches in diameter or about 30 cm.
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Using a pizza cutter, cut off the uneven edges and then cut the circle in eight equal slices.
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Take plum butter and using a butter knife spread about a teaspon of plum butter on each piece.
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Roll each piece from outside in and then twist gently into a crescent.
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Repeat for each piece to form your Rugelah cookies and place them on a cookie sheet lined with perchament paper. You should get a batch of about 24-26 cookies.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes maximum.
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Sprinkle the cooled cookies lightly with some powdered sugar.
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Our kids really enjoyed helping make these cookies. Of course they gobbled them up immediately afterwards.