Peppermint Chocolate Rugelach! I created this recipe for my feature in the 2016 Feast Magazine December issue. The feature was titled Happy Challah Days and includes 8 Recipes that I created in honor of my Jewish heritage and really in honor of my Grandma Bette. She passed away in 2011 and a lot of my fondest memories of her were cooking for holidays together. Grandma really pushed my love for cooking.
I would love for you to read more about the story and about my Grandma on the story here.
Rugelach is a pastry wrapped into a crescent shape and filled with jam or chocolate. To celebrate my interfaith family, I have made a peppermint-chocolate version that captures the flavors I associate with Christmas in a decidedly Jewish treat. For this recipe, it’s best to make your dough one day, or at least three to four hours, in advance of baking.
Yields 64 pastries
Ingredients for rugelach dough:
- all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring surface
- salt
- cream cheese, cold and cubed
- cold and cubed unsalted butter
- egg yolk
- vanilla extract
Ingredients for filling:
- unsalted butter
- chopped dark chocolate
- peppermint extract
- granulated sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- crushed peppermint pieces
- powdered sugar
- egg wash (1 egg and 1 Tbsp water whisked together)
How to make rugelach:
- In a food processor, add flour and salt, pulse for about 10 seconds. Add cream cheese and butter; blend until batter becomes crumbly. Add in egg and vanilla, and run processor until dough forms into balls or 1 large piece.
- Remove dough to a floured surface. Knead dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
How to make filling:
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter and chocolate. Stir until mixture melts and combines. Remove from heat, add peppermint extract, sugar and cocoa powder, and mix until combined and mixture has a grainy texture. Set aside.
How to assemble rugelach:
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove chilled dough to a work surface covered with powdered sugar. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll dough out into a circle.
- Scoop a quarter of filling, and spread it out across dough. Sprinkle filling with peppermint pieces. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 16 equal pieces like a pizza.
- Roll each triangle from thick end to point, as you would roll a croissant. Place each rugelach onto prepared baking sheets. Brush egg wash on each. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.
Other Recipes from this Article to Try:
- Unstuffed Safganiyot
- Egg Foo Young Matzo Brei
- Apple Fritter Coffee Cake
- Kugel Arancini
- Latke Bar
- Gingerbread Mandelbrot
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for flouring surface
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese cold and cubed
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark chocolate chopped
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- ²⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup peppermint candy crushed
- powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
Dough
- In a food processor, add flour and salt, pulse for about 10 seconds. Add cream cheese and butter; blend until batter becomes crumbly. Add in egg and vanilla, and run processor until dough forms into balls or 1 large piece.
- Remove dough to a floured surface. Knead dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter and chocolate. Stir until mixture melts and combines. Remove from heat, add peppermint extract, sugar and cocoa powder, and mix until combined and mixture has a grainy texture. Set aside.
Assemble
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl mix 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water to make an egg wash.
- Remove chilled dough to a work surface covered with powdered sugar. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll dough out into a circle.
- Scoop a quarter of filling, and spread it out across dough. Sprinkle filling with peppermint pieces. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 16 equal pieces like a pizza.
- Roll each triangle from thick end to point, as you would roll a croissant. Place each rugelach onto prepared baking sheets. Brush egg wash on each. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.
Notes
– Mixing dough: If you don’t have a food processor you could try this in a large blender or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
– Filling: Rugelach is made using with chocolate or fruit. You can also swap this out for fruit or jam.
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @amanda.wilens or tag #amandawilensmakes