Rugelach are a beloved Jewish holiday treat! These Chocolate Rugelach are perfect pinwheels of flaky yet tender pastry swirled with a decadent chocolate filling.
8ounces(226 grams / 2 sticks) cold unsalted buttercut into chunks
8ounces(226 grams / 1 package) cold cream cheesecut into chunks
Filling:
8ounces(226 grams) high quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolateroughly chopped
¼cup(50 grams) packed light brown sugar
¼teaspoonground cinnamon(optional)
Topping:
1eggbeaten with 1 tablespoon water
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
¼teaspoonground 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
Storage Instructions: Store leftovers at room temperature for about 3 to 5 days. Placing them in an airtight container can cause them to soften, so I recommend arranging the leftovers in a baking pan with high sides and then covering with a tea towel.
Make-Ahead Instructions: Sliced unbaked rugelach can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days before baking.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions:
To freeze unbaked rugelach: Arrange the sliced unbaked rugelach in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer frozen rugelach to a freezer bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer after finishing with egg wash and cinnamon sugar. Frozen rugelach will require a couple extra minutes of baking time. Frozen unbaked rugelach will keep for up to 3 months.
To freeze baked rugelach: Cool rugelach completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Allow the rugelach to come to room temperature before serving.