Homemade Rugelach with Cinnamon, Walnuts and Apricot Jam (Holiday Cookies)

Why you’ll love it

• Flaky and tender: the cream cheese dough bakes up buttery and layered like a mini pastry.
• Classic bakery filling: apricot jam, cinnamon sugar, walnuts and raisins in every bite.
• Great for gifting: they make a big batch, keep for a week and freeze perfectly.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cream cheese dough

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes
• 8 oz (225 g) cold full-fat brick cream cheese, cut into cubes

For the filling

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (115 g) walnuts, very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (75 g) raisins or dried currants, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (160 g) apricot preserves, large pieces chopped

For the topping

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp granulated or coarse sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Step-by-step method

1. Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the cold butter and cream cheese and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the dough forms large moist clumps and just starts to come together; do not let it form a ball.

2. Divide and chill. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, press it together and divide it into 4 equal pieces (about 175 g each). Shape each into a flat 5-inch (13 cm) disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until firm.

3. Mix the filling. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Keep the walnuts, raisins and apricot preserves in separate bowls. In another small bowl, mix the 2 tbsp topping sugar with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

4. Preheat and prepare the pans. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Roll and fill. Let one disc soften 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll it into a 9-inch (23 cm) circle about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Spread with 2 tbsp of the apricot preserves, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Sprinkle with one quarter of the cinnamon sugar, one quarter of the walnuts and one quarter of the raisins, then gently press the filling into the dough with your palm.

6. Cut and shape. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 equal wedges, like a pizza. Starting at the wide outer edge, roll up each wedge toward the point to form a crescent. Place them point side down on the prepared sheets, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Repeat with the remaining discs.

7. Chill and top. Refrigerate the shaped cookies 20 minutes so they hold their shape. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with the cinnamon topping sugar.

8. Bake. Bake 22 to 26 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the rugelach are deep golden brown. Some jam will leak and caramelize on the parchment; that is normal.

9. Cool. Let them cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack while still warm, before the jam hardens, and let cool completely.

How to know it is done

The rugelach are done when the tops and bottoms are an even deep golden brown, the layers of dough look dry and flaky rather than pale and shiny, and the jam is bubbling at the edges. Lift one with a spatula: the bottom should be golden and firm, not soft or doughy. Underbaked rugelach taste raw and soggy in the center, so give them the full time if they still look pale.

Tips for the best result

• Keep the butter and cream cheese very cold so the dough bakes up flaky, not greasy.
• Chop the walnuts and raisins very finely; big pieces tear the dough and make rolling harder.
• Work with one disc at a time and keep the rest in the refrigerator.
• If the dough gets soft or sticky while rolling, slide it onto a sheet pan and chill it 10 minutes.
• Chill the shaped cookies before baking so they keep their neat crescent shape.

Variations and substitutions

• Raspberry: use seedless raspberry jam instead of apricot preserves.
• Chocolate: replace the raisins with 1/2 cup (85 g) finely chopped semisweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips.
• Pecan: use finely chopped pecans in place of the walnuts.
• Nut-free: skip the walnuts and add 2 extra tablespoons of jam and the chopped raisins or chocolate.
• Log shape: roll the dough into rectangles, spread with the filling, roll up into logs and slice into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces before baking.
• Cranberry orange: use orange marmalade and chopped dried cranberries instead of apricot and raisins.

Make ahead

The dough discs can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can also shape the rugelach, freeze them unbaked on the sheet until firm and transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.

Storage and reheating

Store the cooled rugelach in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, with parchment between the layers. They do not need reheating, but you can warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes to refresh the flaky texture. To freeze baked cookies, place them in a freezer container for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.