These individual-sized cookies are so popular in our culture, along with our Truffle Cookie Kisses and the korzinki Tartlets.

what is a rugelach?

Rugelach are small cookies that are popular in Russian/Ukrainian cuisine. The cookies are filled with dried fruit and are rolled up. Once baked, they are dusted with powdered sugar. These cookies are flakey and crunchy yet melt in your mouth soft with the most delicious filling.

how to make rugelach recipe:

The rugelach dough is so easy to work with and absolutely delicious.

Crumble flour and butter- In a large bowl, add cubed cold butter and flour. Mix with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and lumpy.Add sour cream and egg- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolks, pour into the flour mixture, and mix until combined. The dough will be soft and elastic and slightly sticky.Shape dough- Shape the dough into 6 even balls and place onto a plate lined with parchment paper. Light dust the tops of the dough with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough- Refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours (or overnight). The dough will harden and become easy to use. Tip: If you like large rugelachs, shape into 4 balls instead of 6.

how to make rugelach filling-

Beat egg whites- In a medium bowl, with a mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly beat in the sugar, mix until stiff peaks form.Chop nuts- With a blender, chop the walnuts, not too fine and not too large. Fold in the nuts to the egg whites until combined.

how to shape and fill rugelach cookies-

Roll out ball- Take out one ball of dough (leave the rest refrigerated). On a lightly floured surface roll it out to about 9″-11″ inches in diameter. With a pizza cutter, cut into 8 triangles.Add filling- Add the meringue filling to the edges of each triangle.Roll up- Gently roll up the dough and place edge end down onto the parchment paper (so the cookie doesn’t come undone during baking). Add dried fruit- Add some dried fruit over the meringue filling. Tip: You can add the dried fruit with the meringue filling or without it.

Rugelach cookies can be filled with so many different things. Here are some variations:

Poppy seed fillingMeringue (like this recipe)Walnuts or pecansDried fruit (cherries, raisins, apricots or prunes)Jams

I cannot wait for you to give these Russian cookies a try.

more small desserts to try:

Korzinki with Cream Rice Krispies TreatsAir Fryer OreosZakarpatski PalochkiSweet Crunch Bites Pastry Triangles