Best Austrian Rugelach Cookies Recipes

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
• On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges?cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine.
• Add the chunks of butter and cream cheese, as well as the egg yolk. Pulse until the dough is moistened and crumbly with curd-like pieces about the size of peas. Dump the dough out onto a work surface. Knead just until it comes together and shape into a square or rectangle. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and flatten into 1-inch thick discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Wipe out the food processor. To make the filling, place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the walnuts and raisins are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until the dough is ready.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. (If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable enough to roll, but not too soft.) Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 10 - 11-inch circle, or just under an ⅛-inch thick. Sprinkle more flour and turn as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. Spread ½ cup of the filling over the dough; using your hands, press the filling into the dough to anchor it.
• Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the dough into twelve equal wedges (just like you would cut a pizza). Roll each wedge up, beginning with the wide end and ending with the point. Place the rolls point-side down, about an inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have 24 rugelach on each baking sheet.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, or until the tops are lightly golden and the bottoms are golden and crisp (at first glance, it might look like the bottoms are burnt, but that's just the dark filling oozing out). Transfer the rugelach to a rack to cool.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Shape the dough into 2 discs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and then proceed with recipe. They can also be assembled and frozen before baking: Arrange them on a baking sheet (so they're not touching) and freeze until very firm. Transfer them to an airtight container. They can be baked directly out of the freezer; they may just need a few extra minutes in the oven. To Freeze After Baking: Let the rugelach cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove them from the container and let them come to room temperature.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and cream cheese together for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
• Add in the sugar and salt and mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides as necessary.
• Turn mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just combined, don't over-mix.
• Place a large piece of plastic wrap onto your counter. Place the dough onto the plastic wrap and press it into a rectangle shape, approximately 1- inch thick. Wrap the dough tightly in the
• Reynolds Kitchens Quick Cut Plastic Wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, working with one piece at a time, placing the dough you aren't using back in the refrigerator.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 x 8- inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of the preserves evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts evenly on top. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar all over the top. Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log. Place the log seam side down onto your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the process with the remaining dough placing the logs 2- inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Brush each log with milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the logs 3/4 through (not all the way) into 1- inch slices.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a cutting board to slice all the way through.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.
• Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).
• Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers...they freeze very well.
• Variations: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer apricot jam as well as brown sugar. Then add the recommended filling. You may also make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll the rugelach in this prior to putting them on the cookie sheets.

RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to cream cheese mixture and mix well. Divide dough into fourths. Wrap each portion; refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., Roll out each portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 12-in. circle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush each circle with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle each with 3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar and 2 tablespoons pecans. Cut each into 12 wedges., Roll up wedges from the wide end; place pointed side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Curve ends to form a crescent shape. , Bake at 350° for 24-26 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Brush warm cookies with remaining butter; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

MAPLE-NUT RUGELACH COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together cream cheese, butter, sugar, maple syrup, salt and egg yolk in large bowl until smooth.
• Beat in flour just until blended.
• Shape into ball and refrigerate about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile prepare filling: Stir together walnuts, 1/3 c sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon in medium bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 large baking sheets.
• Divide chilled dough in half, and roll one half out on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Trim dough to form a 10-inch circle.
• Spread half of walnut mixture evenly over dough.
• Cut circle into 16 wedges, like you would cut a pizza (A pizza-cutter works great).
• Starting with wide end, roll up each wedge jelly-roll fashion (Will look like a little crescent roll).
• Place on baking sheet, point side down.
• Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Lightly beat egg white with water, and brush over cookies.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

FOREVERMAMA'S CRESCENT RUGELACH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar in water.
• Combine flour and salt in a mixer bowl. With mixer at low speed, beat in yeast mixture, egg yolks, cream and vanilla.
• Blend in butter 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated.
• Wrap dough and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with foil. Grease foil.
• Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle heaping tablespoon on work surface (you will be using more of the sugar/cinnamon mixture for rolling). (If necessary, you may need to make more cinnamon-sugar mixture).
• Divide dough into 10 pieces; shape into balls. Cover each ball with plastic wrap. Place balls in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be refrigerated overnight at this point).
• Roll 1 ball into an 8" circle, turning to coat well with cinnamon-sugar. Cut into 8 wedges.
• Place 1/2 tsp jam, a pinch of walnuts and a few golden raisins in the outer edge of each wedge.
• Roll up each wedge from outer edge; transfer to cookie sheet, curving to form a crescent.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, until browned and puffed.
• Remove rugelach immediately from aluminum foil (Very important step or else they will stick to foil and you will end up having to peel foil from bottom of cookies).
• Place on wire rack to cool.
• Tip!: In order to remove seeds from raspberry jam, heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat until jam begins to melt. Pour melted jam into a sieve and with a spoon press the jam "liquid" through the sieve mesh. The sieve will separate the seeds from jam and you'll wind up with seedless jam.

BUTTERHORNS AKA RUGELACH / RUGULACH / SNAILS / SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until soft.
• Sift in the flour and mix to make a soft dough.
• Divide dough into 4 equal balls, flatten each one and wrap in wax paper.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll thinly on a lightly floured surface into a circle, about 9" in diameter.
• Brush the surface with the egg white glaze and sprinkle the dough with 1/4 of the filling.
• Slice the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into quarters and then each quarter into 4 equal sections, to form 16 triangles.
• Starting from the base of each triangle, roll up to form spirals.
• You can curve them into crescents if you like.
• Continue with the other 3 disks of dough.
• Place on baking sheets and brush with egg white glaze.
• Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
• Bake until just golden, about 10 minutes.
• For 32 extra large butterhorns, divide the dough in half instead of fourths and roll each disk into a 12 inch circle and use half the filling.
• Continue as above but bake for 15-20 minutes.