Best Chocolate Babka Rugelach Recipes

CHOCOLATE RUGELACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: Place the flour, sugar, 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, cream cheese, and egg yolk. Process until the dough starts to come together into a well-moistened, crumbly mass, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Gather the crumbly dough into a ball and knead, dusting the work surface and dough lightly with flour as necessary, until it comes together into a smooth ball. Shape the dough into a rectangle, then cut into 4 equal portions; flatten each piece of dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap each section of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Make the filling: Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate completely. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a double boiler on the stovetop.) Mix in the sugar and salt. The mixture will be grainy; that's okay.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the cookies: Remove one section 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 it's 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 an 8 x 11-in rectangle. Don't make yourself crazy over it, but try to make it as even as possible around the edges; it will make it easier to roll. (Go ahead and trim slightly with a pizza cutter or sharp knife if it's very uneven.) Using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, quickly spread ¼ of the chocolate filling (about a ¼ cup) evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges.
• Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder. Place the filled rolled dough, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate filling. Place the rolled dough logs in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Take the rolled dough out of the refrigerator. Using a serrated knife, slice off the uneven ends of each roll and discard. Then slice the rolls into 1-in-wide pieces. Place each slice, seam side down, on the prepared sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool the rugelach on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Rugelach are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked but any extra cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for longer storage.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The unbaked sliced rugelach can be chilled and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator before baking.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The unbaked sliced rugelach can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before freezing, let the sliced rugelach set on a baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer 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 the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

CHOCOLATE RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream and 2 tablespoons sugar, mix until combined. Gradually beat in flour. Divide dough into four portions. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until easy to handle. , Preheat oven to 350°. Place chocolate, nuts, currants, cinnamon and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine jam and 2 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until thinned, 5-10 seconds; whisk., Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll each into a 10-in. circle on a well floured surface. Brush with one fourth of the jam mixture. Sprinkle with one fourth of the chocolate mixture (about a half cup), pressing lightly to adhere. Cut each into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide ends; place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, point side down. In a small bowl, whisk egg white and remaining 2 teaspoons water; brush over pastries. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar., Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE BABKA RUGELACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and well blended. Beat in sugar and vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour and salt until just incorporated.
• Scrape dough onto plastic wrap. Divide dough into 4 portions, form each into a disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 5 days.
• Prepare the fudge: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Add chocolate, butter and vanilla, and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the chocolate, then mix until melted and smooth. (Fudge can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before using; it's too firm to spread when cold.)
• Make the crumb filling: In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and the mixture forms large, moist crumbs. Set aside.
• Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners, or lightly butter the pans, if you like. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, remove it from refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, or until malleable enough to roll out.
• On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a 9-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Rotate dough while rolling to ensure it does not stick to the work surface.
• Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread 2 tablespoons of fudge onto the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of sugar cocoa crumbs over fudge. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts over the crumbs, and, using your hands, press the filling firmly and evenly into the dough.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 12 triangles, like pieces of a pie. With an offset spatula or thin knife, loosen the triangles from the work surface. Starting at the wide end of the triangle and working to the narrow tip, roll up each piece and bend the ends around to form a slight crescent shape.
• Place rugelach, narrow tip tucked beneath, on a prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each. Refrigerate, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours) to help them keep their shape in the oven. Repeat with the remaining dough, fudge and filling. (Clean your work surface before rolling out the next batch of dough.)
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together Demerara sugar and a large pinch of flaky salt. Brush rugelach with milk and sprinkle sugar-salt mix on top.
• Bake, 2 sheets at a time, until lightly browned, 17 to 25 minutes. Rotate cookie sheets halfway through for even baking. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool completely.