Rugelach are the classic Jewish brunch treat! They can be filled with pretty much anything, although I think the traditional filling is nuts and raisins (or at least that’s what my grandma fills them with)!
Most Jewish kids grow up eating some form of these delicious cookies, but it wasn’t until I was in the Shuk (market) in Jerusalem that I was introduced to rugelach with innovative fillings! They had every kind of sweet filling imaginable and I wanted to eat all of them!
This version of rugelach are made with the classic cream cheese dough and are filled with apples and honey for a sweet new year, after all, Rosh Hashana is just about a week away!
Dough
8 oz. cream cheese
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¼ Cup granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Cups all purpose flour
Filling
3 Medium apples, you can use any kind, I used 2 honeycrisp and 1 granny smith
1 Tablespoon butter
½ Cup honey
1 ½ Teaspoons cinnamon
½ Teaspoon cloves
Make the dough by creaming together the cream cheese and butter with a mixer. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and sugar and mix to combine.
Stir in the flour until just incorporated. The dough will be pretty wet but should not be sticky.
Divide the dough into four portions and wrap each individually in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and cool for at least one hour.
To make the filling, preheat a pan over medium heat. Peel the apples and chop into ½ inch cubes. Melt the butter in the pan. Once the butter is melted, throw the apples in and cook for 5-8 minutes until the apples begin to soften.
Add in the honey, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir continuously for another two minutes. Take the apple mixture off of the heat and cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the dough is chilled, take one of the portions out of the fridge. On a floured surface, roll into a 9 inch circle.
Drizzle honey over the circle. Place about ¼ of the cooled apple mixture on the circle, spreading evenly across the whole circle.
Now comes the tricky part! Cut the circle into fourths. Then cut each fourth in half to create 8 triangles. Starting at the edge of one of the triangles, roll towards the center until it forms a rugelach!
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The rugelach will not expand much in the oven so you place them pretty close together on the sheet.
Complete for all other portions of dough. Before baking, make an egg wash by combining one egg and 1 tablespoon of honey. Brush over all of the rugelach. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
