Chocolate Rugelach
User Reviews
5
12 reviews
Excellent
Chocolate Rugelach
Report
Chocolate Rugelach are tender, flaky pastries made with a cream cheese and butter dough, rolled around a filling of melted chocolate mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon. Each piece is brushed with an egg wash and topped with cinnamon sugar for a gentle crunch. These pastries provide a rich, chocolatey flavor combined with the soft texture of the cream cheese crust, ideal for dessert or a sweet snack.
Description
Chocolate Rugelach feature a dough made from all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cold butter, and cream cheese, which is pulsed in a food processor to achieve a delicate balance of flaky layers and tender crumb. After chilling, the dough is rolled thin and filled with a mixture of melted semi-sweet chocolate, brown sugar, and optional cinnamon, adding warmth and sweetness.
The dough is cut, rolled, and then brushed with an egg wash mixed with water before being sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, which forms a subtle crispy topping when baked. The result is a crescent-shaped pastry with soft, buttery layers encasing a smooth chocolate center. The flavor profile is a combination of creamy, subtly tangy dough and the bittersweet chocolate filling, enhanced by the cinnamon sugar crispness.
This recipe allows for make-ahead preparation by refrigerating or freezing unbaked slices to bake fresh later, with instructions for freezing baked rugelach as well. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for several days, keeping the pastries tender without gaining excess moisture.
Share:
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 325 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter cut into chunks, 226 grams / 2 sticks, cold
- 8 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks, 226 grams / 1 package, cold
Filling:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate roughly chopped, 226 grams, high quality or bittersweet
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed, 50 grams
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Topping:
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- To make the dough: To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times just to combine. Then add the cold chunks of butter and cream cheese. Pulse again about 25 to 35 times until the mixture just comes together into a ball of dough.
- Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Be careful not to overwork the dough as the warmth from your hands can melt the butter. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 200 grams each), and shape each piece roughly into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- To make the filling: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop. Alternatively, place the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until mostly melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the remaining chocolate.
- Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon, if using. The mixture will be grainy from the sugar, but that's normal. Keep just warm enough so the chocolate doesn’t cool and harden.
- To assemble: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove one piece of cold dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. If it’s too cold to roll out, let it sit for a few minutes to soften just enough to roll evenly, but not too long to completely soften it.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it with a rolling pin into an 8-by-11-inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Trim the edges a bit if it’s very uneven.
- Spread ¼ of the melted chocolate mixture (about ¼ cup) evenly over the dough leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges.
- Immediately (so the chocolate doesn’t cool and harden), starting from the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough into a cylinder. Place the rolled dough, seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling to create 4 logs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; you can also reuse the baking sheet you had used for chilling the dough as one of them.
- Remove the chilled dough logs from the refrigerator. Transfer them to a cutting board, trim off the ends and discard. Cut each trimmed roll into 8 pieces, each about 1 ¼ inches wide. You’ll hear a crunch as you cut through the now-hardened chocolate which is pinwheeled through the dough.
- Transfer all the rolls to the baking sheets with the seam-side down. Lightly brush the tops and sides of the dough (not the cut sides) with egg wash. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle over the rugelach tops.
- Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pans part way through baking, until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store leftover baked rugelach at room temperature for 3 to 5 days; avoid airtight containers that may soften the crust.
- Unbaked, sliced rugelach can be refrigerated up to 3 days before baking.
- For freezing unbaked rugelach, freeze slices individually then store in a freezer bag; bake directly from frozen, adding extra baking time.
- Frozen baked rugelach should be wrapped between layers and brought to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1 pastry
Calories
165kcal
(8%)
Carbohydrates
16g
(5%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
11g
(17%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
22mg
(7%)
Sodium
38mg
(2%)
Potassium
22mg
(0%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 32pastries
Amount Per Serving
Calories 165 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 pastry | |
| Calories | 165kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 22mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 38mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 22mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
12 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
