Rugelach Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a rugelach in English? ›

: a pastry made with cream-cheese dough that is rolled around a filling (such as nuts, jam, or chocolate) and baked.

Rugelach is a type of pastry that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is popular in Israel and among Jews around the world. Rugelach is made by rolling a triangle of dough around a sweet filling, such as nuts, chocolate, jam, or poppy seeds.

Storage: Rugelach will keep at room temperature for 3 days (wrapped tightly) or 1 to 2 weeks longer in the refrigerator. Freezer: Freeze the discs of dough for up to 3 months.

Historically, Rugelach is said to be linked with the Viennese Kipfel, crescent shaped pastries which commemorate the lifting of the Turkish siege in the Battle of Vienna. Rugelach is also similar in shape to the French croissant, which may be a descendant of the popular sweet pastry.

From a good friend of mine who is Israeli, I learned that traditional rugelach in Israel is always made with chocolate, while among American Jews it's made using jam. "As rugelach has always been a favorite of mine, I decided to take this classic dessert and put my spin on it.

Like many Jewish-American specialties, babka originated in Eastern Europe – Poland and Ukraine in particular – in the early 1800s. As a way to use extra challah dough, Jews there would roll up the dough with cinnamon or fruit jam and bake it alongside the challah.

What does “Rugelach” mean? The word “Rugelach” in Yiddish means “little twists.” The cookies originated in Ashkenazi Polish Jewish communities, but are popular with people of all backgrounds and cultures nowadays.

Babka is a yeast bread that is rolled with chocolate filling. It's usually made in a loaf pan. Rugelach is rolled like croissants. The main differences between the two of them are their shape and the type of dough they use.

Croissant-shaped pastries, which look like horns, are called rogale in Polish, see Rogal świętomarciński. Rogale is almost identical in pronunciation and meaning to the Yiddish word rugelach.

In the early 20th century, American Jewish cooks took the concept of kipfel and added cream cheese to the dough, resulting in the delicious rugelach we know and love today. Rugelach are often served on Jewish holidays like Hanukkah and Shavuot, though of course they can (and should!) be made throughout the year.

Can I freeze rugelach? ›

You can freeze rugelach pastries before or after baking them. Before baking, you can freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Storage: Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. To refresh, place the rugelach on a sheet pan and reheat at 300 degrees until warm.

noun. , Jewish Cooking. , plural rug·e·lach. a bite-size pastry made by rolling a triangle of dough around a filling of jam, nuts, raisins, etc.

'Rugelach' is a Yiddish word that translates to 'little twists'. One of Israel's favourite pastries, the rugelach can be traced back to the Hungarian kifli, Austrian kipferin and Polish rogal. Some people believe that Austria was the birthplace of rugelach, where it was made to commemorate the expulsion of the Turks.

While not all croissants and cookies have a filling, rugelach is always filled. A popular filling is chocolate ganache. So have the filling on hand before diving into construction.