The Best Rugelach Cookies

5 from 2 votes

A wonderful pastry cookie made with a low-fat sour cream dough filled with treats ! Use jam or preserves of choice and walnuts to make a wonderful puff pastry like cookie. Perfect for the Holidays!

Course Baking, Holiday

Cuisine Baking

Keyword rugelach

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

refrigerate dough 1

Total Time 45

Servings cookies

Calories 79kcal

Author Eileen Murphy Kelly

Equipment

Ingredients

Ingredients for the sour cream dough

1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
½ cup sour cream
½ cup raisins
1 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tablespoons fig or apricot jam *see notes
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to make the sour cream dough

Combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor, and pulse several times.
Cut 12 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter into 15 pieces and add them to the bowl of the food processor; pulse about 20 times. The mixture will become a fine powder. Check the consistency to avoid over-working the dough.
To the food processor, add ½ cup sour cream; pulse an additional 5 or 6 times. The dough will form a ball. Remove from the food processor and press into a 6-inch square. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. (Note 1)

How to make the filling

After the hour, divide the dough into thirds and shape into a circle, about 10 inches wide. Place the dough circles on a plate, separated by parchment paper, back into the refrigerator while the filling is prepared.
For the filling, place ½ cup raisins in a saucepan and cover with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over low heat. Drain and cool. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup finely chopped walnuts, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F/177°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Remove one circle of dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place it on your work surface. Spread 1 of the 3 Tablespoons fig or apricot jam on the dough, then scatter one-third of the raisins and one-third of the filling mixture onto the dough. With a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 12 wedges, and roll each one up from the edge to the point.
Arrange the rugelach pastries on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the rugelach in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Check them often, as the sugar can leak and cause the bottom of the pastry to burn. Lower the temperature 25 degrees if the bottom of the pastry begins to burn.
When pastries are done, cool briefly, then move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle some of the 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar onto each rugelach. Ready to serve.

Notes

I love using Fig Preserves. Any flavor of jam or preserves can be used
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation, and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion size

Note 1: If planning for an event or a holiday, the dough can stay in the refrigerator overnight. It can also be frozen at this point in a freezer-safe bag, with all excess air taken out. Or, use a food saver, my preferred method to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition