Just Try to Resist These Strawberry Rugelach

With their flavorful filling and flaky dough, rugelach are beloved for the holidays. We’re not gonna lie, it does take a little time to shape each lovely crescent. But it’s not hard to do and the results are SO worth it.

Here’s a simple recipe from pastry chef Gesine Bullock-Prado to get you going.

Strawberry Rugelach

Yield: makes 36

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Add vanilla and milk and mix until blended. Slowly add the flour and mix just until just incorporated. Be careful to not overwork the dough!

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 3 even pieces (if you’re going to be exact, each round will weigh 1 pound 1 ounce). Pat each piece of dough into a circle and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.

2. Roll and Shape

On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12″ circle. Score the dough into 12 wedges, but don’t cut through just yet.

Smear a light layer of jam (we used strawberry) over the whole surface of the dough before cutting. But definitely don’t feel restricted to strawberry — you can use SO many flavors, even Nutella.

Cut the circle into triangles like you’re cutting a pizza pie. Starting at the wider end, roll each triangle of dough into a crescent. Place the crescents on a baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

3. Glaze and Bake

Brush the rugelach with a light coating of milk and sprinkle with sugar, then bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool thoroughly and dust with powdered sugar (if you like!) before serving.