Polish Rugelach

Today's Polish Rugelach recipe features a buttery, cream cheese cookie dough, filled with a mix of dried fruits, nuts, cocoa, and a medley of Christmas spices. The cookies bake up tender on the outside, with a creamy, fruity filling with warming notes of spice. Shaped in crescents, and make-ahead friendly, these cookies are the perfect treat for the holidays, pairing beautifully with everything from coffee to mulled wine and cider.

While these cookies may seem intimidating to make, I promise that we’ve divided the recipe into easy-to-follow steps and that we’re using only affordable, simple ingredients. What’s more, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, meaning they are bake-ahead friendly.

Simple to make, irresistibly flaky, and beautiful for your next dessert spread, what are you waiting for? Read on for a recipe overview, a complete ingredient checklist, and a printable recipe card.

Now, let’s make some cookies.

What to Expect – Recipe Overview

Having read this far, you’ve likely decided that these cookies would look absolutely beautiful on your next holiday dessert table, or that they would be delicious as a cold-weather treat. In either instance, you’re right! However, you might still be wondering what this recipe is like in terms of taste and texture, or how hard it is to make, read on for the answers to those questions and more.

Taste and Texture

The pastry itself, that is the ‘cookie’ that surrounds the filling, should cook up flaky and buttery. The filling is sweet, with notes of “Christmas spice.” The filling is meant to find a nice balance between sweetness, the warming notes from the cinnamon and nutmeg, and the earthy crunch from the toasted nuts. Basically, this is a cookie that, despite being indulgent, is all about balance.

Difficulty Level

As far as baking recipes go, I would rate rugelach as ‘moderately easy.’ Prepping and rolling the dough does take some patience, and might be a little time-consuming for novice home bakers, but this is definitely ‘not’ a baking recipe that is on the harder or more technical end of the spectrum.

Preparation Process

The prep process for this recipe is divided into two main parts. Up first, prepping the dough, which entails mixing the dough, chilling it, then rolling it out, and cutting it. The next phase of the process is crafting the cookies themselves. Once the dough is prepped, we cut the dough into triangles (as pictured below and described in the recipe card), and then spread the filling over the triangles, before rolling them into crescent shapes, and baking.

Pairings

Hot wintery beverages are the go-to. Strong black coffee, spiced tea, or hot chocolate, are all delicious pairings. For a more festive pairing, or on a particularly cold evening, consider serving these cookies alongside mulled wine or a dessert wine.

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

A pretty hefty list ahead, but I promise these are all affordable, simple ingredients that are readily available at your local supermarket.

In addition to a list of everything you’ll need to make this recipe, I’ll also be providing you with substitutes (where applicable), and tips for using each ingredient, along with notes as to why that particular ingredient is being used.

Dough Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Tip 1: As always, when baking, you want to use room-temperature ingredients. In the case of the butter, you want the butter to be soft but ‘not’ melted. This is to aid in mixing with the cream cheese.
  • Tip 2: We don’t want added salt from the butter, so unsalted is the way to go here.
• 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
  • Tip 1: I cannot stress enough that full-fat cream cheese is the way to go. You want the extra fat for a richer texture and added flavor.
  • Tip 2: As mentioned before, baking is done best with room-temperature ingredients, and that applies to the cream cheese as well. This helps with easier mixing, and smoother, more even combining of the ingredients.
• 1/2 cup sugar
  • Note: Plain, granulated sugar is all you need for this recipe.
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Tip 1: Whenever using flour, I always suggest sifting the flour before measuring, to ensure that the proper amount of flour is being used, and to ensure a lighter, more even texture through the dough.
  • Substitution: As always, the gluten-free option of your choice will work with this recipe.

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
  • Tip: Here again, plain, granulated sugar is all you’re looking for.
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries and raisins mixed
  • Substitution: Get creative and experiment with other dried fruits. Apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, or a mix of any of these, would all work nicely.
  • Tip: That said, no matter what dried fruit you use, be sure that they are chopped as finely as you can manage to ensure even distribution throughout the filling.
• 2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts or almonds
  • Tip: Toasting the nuts, perhaps with some sugar and seasonal spices, will really work to enhance the flavor of the filling.
  • Substitution: My go-to substitutes would be pecans or hazelnuts.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Note: The most Christmas-y spice of all, cinnamon adds a pleasant warmth to the filling.
  • Tip: Increase slightly if you love cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Tip: Freshly grated nutmeg is definitely the way to go, as it offers a much more robust aroma and earthy warmth than pre-ground.
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • Tip: I do strongly recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder for a hint of rich chocolatey goodness, without overpowering the rest of the ingredients with added sweetness.
  • Substitution: For a twist, try dark cocoa powder or a mix of cocoa and finely grated chocolate.

Optional Topping and Decoration:

• Powdered sugar (for dusting)
  • Tip 1: Dust the cookies generously after cooling for a decorative and sweet finish.
  • Tip 2: As with the flour, I suggest using a sieve or sifter for even distribution.

Tips for Preparing Polish Rugelach

Dough Preparation:

1. Soften Ingredients Properly:
   • I’ve mentioned this at least twice now, but baking with room-temperature ingredients really is the best way to do things. Ensure the butter and cream cheese are fully softened to room temperature for a smooth and pliable dough. Cold ingredients may result in lumps and uneven texture.
2. Don’t Overmix:
   • Once you add the flour, mix the dough only until it just comes together. Overmixing can make the dough tough, by introducing too much air into the batter.
3. Chill the Dough:
   • Once you are done mixing and forming the dough, pop it in the fridge to let it chill for at least an hour, or preferably overnight. What this does is help relax the gluten, making the dough easier to roll without it either sticking or tearing.
   • Do NOT skip this step.
4. Divide the Dough for Easier Handling:
   • Divide the dough into equal portions before rolling. Working with smaller portions ensures even rolling and makes the process more manageable.

Rolling and Shaping:

1. Lightly Flour the Surface:
   • Too much flour leads to a dry, dense dough. Not fun. And yes, this includes the flour used to prevent sticking while rolling out the dough. That means you need to use just enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking, but avoid over-flouring the surface as this can dry out and toughen the dough. Again, not fun.
2. Roll Evenly:
   • You want the dough to be an even thickness of about an eighth of an inch (1/8-inch) thickness. This is to ensure that all of the cookies are baked evenly. If some cookies are too thin, they will burn, while the cookies that are too thick won’t be fully cooked through, or will be undercooked. Once again, not fun. This is where a sturdy rolling pin comes in.
3. Cut Precisely:
   • A sharp knife or pizza cutter will get the job done. You want neat, evenly sized triangles, as pictured.
4. Roll Tight but Gentle:
   • I know that sounds contradictory, but this is actually pretty important. To start, roll from the wide end of the triangle down to the thin end. Roll them gently, and just tight enough so that they stay closed, but not so tightly that the filling squeezes out during baking.

Filling and Baking:

1. Toast the Nuts:
   • Toast the nuts ‘before’ chopping to help bring out their natural flavors. Chopping releases their juices, so if you chop them before toasting, you toast them in their own juices. Delish. Once toasted, allow them to cool completely before adding to the filling. What have I been saying about using room-temperature ingredients? Yes, that applies to the toasted nuts as well.
2. Spread Filling Evenly:
   • Spread the filling to within half an inch (½ inch) of the edges of the dough to prevent overflow during rolling.
3. Prevent Overfilling:
   • I know it might be tempting to stuff the cookies to the brim, but I do advise against this, as it can cause the rugelach to leak during baking, or even saturate the dough, causing the cookies to fall apart. Not good.
4. Line the Baking Sheets:
   • As always, this is my number one kitchen hack. Nothing prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier than parchment paper.
5. Space the Cookies Apart:
   • Overcrowding the pan is a big no-no. You want to leave about an inch of space between the cookies to allow room for them to expand during baking. Also, overcrowding can cause air to trap between the cookies, which will cause them to become soggy as they cook. Not fun.

Finishing Touches:

1. Cool Before Dusting:
   • Allow the rugelach to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar to prevent melting or clumping.
2. Storage:
   • The cookies can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months—perfect for making ahead for holidays or special occasions.

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And that’s our Polish Rugelach Cookie Recipe. If you enjoyed today’s recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Baking!

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