What is rugelach you ask? The best way I can describe these rolled up concoctions are this…. If a croissant and a butter cookie had a love child they would make rugelach. (pronounced ROO-ge-lahkh) Before writing this post, I had to attend my old faithful Google University for a little Rugelach 101. Turns out, these little twisted cookies have quite a history.
Wikipedia says:
“Traditional rugelach are made in the form of a crescent by rolling a triangle of dough around a filling. Some sources state that the rugelach and the French croissant share a common Viennese ancestor, crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the lifting of the Turkish siege, possibly a reference to the Battle of Vienna in 1683. This appears to be an urban legend however, as both the rugelach and its supposed ancestor, the Kipferl, pre-date the Early Modern era, while the croissant in its modern form did not originate earlier than the 19th century This leads many to believe that the croissant is simply a descendant of one of these two.”
So if anyone asks “what comes first – Rugelach or Croissant?” Now ya know! Want to know more? Check out this wikipedia link about rugelach.
Traditional rugelach are made with yeast. The “American Version” dropped the yeast and added cream cheese. This recipe is the American version, but don’t be surprised to see the traditional yeast version some time soon. Rugelach can be rolled around any filling that you choose. I thought that this decadent treat needed the natural sweetness of fig, golden raisins, and cranberries hidden inside it’s flaky buttery rolls.
Print Recipe
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Print Recipe
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| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
| Apx32 Rugelach | 30Minutes | 30-35Minutes | 4-24Hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| Apx32 Rugelach | 30Minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 30-35Minutes | 4-24Hours |
- Rugelach
- 1 cup sweet cream butter Cold & Cut into small pieces
- 8 ounces cream cheese Room temp & Cut into small pieces
- 1 teeaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoobn butter extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated coconut sugar
- 1 large egg yolk Room temp
- 2 cups gluten free baking mix Plus more for work surface
- Fig Filling
- 1 1/2 cups dried figs Stems removed (about 8 oz)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup hard apple cider Can be subbed with regular cider)
- 1 cup orange juice Fresh is best but store bought will work in a pinch
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Ingredients
Servings: 32 Rugelach
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- Cream butter & cream cheese with mixer until well mixed - about 2 minutes
- Add sugar, salt, and yolk. Beat unitl light and fluffy - about 5 minutes
- Reduce speed to low. Fold in flour until dough forms a sticky ball
- Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Simmer until all the liquid has cooked away - Stiring frequently
- Allow fig mixture to cool before processing in food processor or vitamix until smooth
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
- Separate dough into two equal sections and roll on a floured surface until 1/8 thick
- Beat 2 egg yolks and brush along the outer 2 inches of the dough
- Spread fig filling over cookie dough
- Cut dough into 16 pieces - pie style
- Roll each piece up starting with outer edge - rolling to center, croissant style
- Curl ends toward the center of the cookie & brush with beaten egg yolk
- Bake 2 inches apart for 30 to 35 minutes - until light golden brown
- Best served warm. Cool before storing in an airtight container. Store uneaten cookies in freezer after 5 days.
- I like to cook these only 30 minutes and store them in the freezer. Warm in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes and serve warm.
As I write this post, I keep coming up with different meals that this would love to have rugelach served as an EPIC sweet roll at your next get together instead of the usual bread or croissants. These little rolled up bites of yum are also perfect for a quick snack or breakfast. You could roll anything your heart desires into its’ buttery flakey folds. Chocolate? Absolutely! Poppy Seeds? Why the heck not? Apples & walnuts? You better make extra! Truly, of all the cookies I post, THIS is the most versatile. It crosses over to every meal so easily that I have dubbed rugelach as the ULTIMATE CROSSOVER COOKIE!
Here is how to make Forking EPIC Rugelach with Fig Filling...
Start with cold butter and room temp cream cheese
Cream using paddle attachment for 2 minutes
Add coconut sugar with mixer running on low
Beat on high speed until light and fluffy- about 5 minutes
Slowly fold in flour in it forms a soft dough. Refrigerate until you are ready to make your Rugelach
Remove stems from figs and put them in a medium sauce pot with cranberries and raisins. Set temp to medium and add orange juice
Stir in hard apple cider
Simmer on medium heat until all of the liquid has cooked away - stirring frequently. Cool in freezer for 20 minutes
Divide dough in half, roll it into a ball, and press out in a circle shape on a floured surface
Use rolling pin to smooth dough out to apx 1/8 inch thick - brush beaten egg yolk about outer 2 inches of dough circle
Process the COOLED fig mixture in food processor or Vitamix until it makes a smooth paste
Cut dough into 16 wedges
Starting on the outer edges, roll each Rugelach toward the center
Make sure dough is wrapped tightly enough to hold its’ shape but not so tight that the filling squishes out the ends
Place on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Brush Rugelach with beaten egg yolk
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown at 325 degrees
The inside is soft and flakey with lightly sweet filling - this versatile cookie is sure to become a holiday tradition!!
I have a bag full of these in the freezer that I will warm before serving this Christmas!!
