Best Apple Butter Rugelach Recipes

Ingredients

Dough:

• All-purpose flour
• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Filling:

• Apple butter
• Walnuts or pecans
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar

Instructions

Making the Dough:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Gradually add the flour to the cream cheese mixture, mixing until a dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each portion into a disk.
5. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Making the Filling:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the apple butter, walnuts or pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar, mixing until well combined.
2. Set the filling aside until the dough is ready.

Assembling and Baking the Pastry:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Remove one of the dough disks from the refrigerator and place it on a floured surface.
3. Roll the dough disk out into a thin circle, about ¼ inch thick.
4. Spread half of the apple butter filling evenly over the dough circle, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges.
5. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 12 equal triangles.
6. Roll each triangle from the wider end to the narrower end, forming a crescent shape.
7. Repeat the process with the remaining dough disk and filling.
8. Arrange the rugelach on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure to leave some space between them.
9. Bake the rugelach for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
10. Remove the rugelach from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

Variations

Chocolate Chip Rugelach:

• Substitute chocolate chips for the nuts in the filling
• Sprinkle some additional chocolate chips on top of the rugelach before baking

Apricot Rugelach:

• Substitute apricot preserves for the apple butter in the filling
• Add some finely chopped dried apricots to the filling for extra flavor and texture

Cinnamon Sugar Rugelach:

• Leave out the apple butter filling and sprinkle the rolled out dough with a cinnamon sugar mixture
• Cut the dough into triangles as directed, and roll them up into crescents
• Sprinkle some additional cinnamon sugar on top of the rugelach before baking

Savory Rugelach:

• Replace the sweet apple butter filling with a savory filling like cream cheese mixed with herbs and spices
• Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of the rugelach before baking

Conclusion

If you are a fan of sweet and tangy desserts, you surely cannot resist apple butter rugelach. It is a flaky pastry rolled with sweet apple butter, cinnamon and raisins. This American Jewish pastry has been a favorite for centuries and still holds its place in the dessert list of many.

To make the perfect apple butter rugelach, some valuable tips come in handy. In this article, we have listed the top tips that will help you achieve the perfect pastry with all the recognized flavors for the best dessert experience.

Tip 1: The Dough

The dough is the foundation of any pastry. To make the perfect apple butter rugelach, the dough has to be flaky and tender. The dough is made of flour, sugar, butter, and cream cheese, which adds a tangy taste to it.

Tip 1a: The Butter

The butter used for the dough must be soft and cold. It has to be chopped into small pieces before being used in the mixture. Soft butter makes it easy to combine but can also make the dough greasy if it is not cold enough.

So, you should make sure that the butter is not melted or hard but just soft enough to combine with other ingredients.

Tip 1b: Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is what makes the dough tangy and tender. The use of cream cheese instead of only butter in the dough makes the pastry stand out. The cream cheese should also be soft, but not too cold or too warm, for easy mixing into the ingredients.

Tip 1c: The Flour

The flour used must be of a good quality, with a decent protein percentage. Choosing high-quality flour ensures that the dough is firm, tender, and doesn't shrink during the baking process. All-purpose flour is best for making rugelach, but can also add some whole wheat flour to it for a nutty taste.

Tip 2: The Filling

The filling is as important as the dough. Apple butter, cinnamon, and raisins are the traditional fillings of the rugelach pastry.

Tip 2a: The Apple Butter

To make the apple butter filling, you'll need a high-quality apple butter with a rich texture and flavor. You may purchase it from a store, but making it from scratch brings out more flavors. Simmer peeled and chopped apples in apple juice with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and jam-like consistency.

Tip 2b: The Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice that goes well with apple butter, it gives the rugelach its signature warm and cozy flavors. It can be used in powder form or by placing a cinnamon stick in the simmering apple butter while being made from scratch to infuse the flavor in the mixture.

Tip 2c: The Raisins

Raisins add a sweet and chewy texture to the rugelach pastries. It is best to use raisins instead of other types of dried fruit like apricots or cranberries.

Tip 3: The Rolling and Cutting

The rolling and cutting process determines the shape and size of the rugelach. To be precise, rolling the dough into the right thinness and cutting it into the perfect shape and size makes the rugelach look and taste perfect.

Tip 3a: Rolling

The dough has to be rolled out into circles that are about 1/4 inch thick. Dusting the surface and rolling pin with flour will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. If the dough feels sticky, you may chill it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before rolling it out.

Tip 3b: Cutting

After rolling and cutting the dough, it is then filled with the apple butter mixture, cinnamon, and raisins. The dough is then rolled up like a jelly roll before being sliced into shapes – usually triangles or crescents.

Tip 4: The Baking

After filling and rolling the dough, it is baked until golden brown. The baking time and temperature vary based on the oven's wattage, the size and thickness of the pastries, and the altitude of where you are baking.

Tip 4a: Temperature

The standard temperature to bake rugelach is 350°F or 170°C. Bake in the center rack of the oven for the best results. Avoid baking at too high a temperature as it results in a burnt pastry.

Tip 4b: Time

The time taken to bake the rugelach depends on the size and thickness of the pastry. Generally, bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the cooking process for even baking.

Tip 5: The Presentation

After the rugelach has been baked and cooled, the final step is to present it beautifully, which makes the dessert even more tempting.

Tip 5a: Decoration

Apple butter rugelach pastries may be sprinkled with powdered sugar or drizzled with white chocolate to add extra zing. You can also try different shapes like star, heart-shaped, or square instead of the traditional triangle or crescents.

Tip 5b: Serving suggestion

Rugelach pastries should be cooled down before serving. They can be served with hot tea or coffee, or alongside other desserts like pies, cakes or pastries.

Conclusion

The perfect apple butter rugelach pastry has a flaky and buttery crust with a tangy and sweet apple butter filling. The dough, filling, rolling, cutting, and baking are all crucial steps that need to be carried out efficiently. Following the valuable tips mentioned in this article will help you make the perfect rugelach pastry.

The rugelach pastry requires patience, attention to detail, and practice to get it just right. But it is undoubtedly worth the effort, and the results are always delicious. So, get your apron, baking tray, and ingredients, and make your own apple butter rugelach pastry – a dessert that would surely impress your guests and bring smiles to every doubt.