Chocolate Walnut Rugelach
My first encounter with rugelach was love at first bite! The flaky, buttery dough that is somewhere between a cookie and a croissant is amazingly delicious and makes a great backdrop for a variety of fillings. To make things better, these cookies are surprisingly easy to make! My version has a homemade chocolate walnut spread filling that is elevated with hints of maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. Bring these to your next holiday party, and your friends and family are sure to be impressed!
Prepare the Dough
This rugelach dough gets it’s rich, buttery taste and flaky texture from just a few ingredients - a couple of which might surprise you. All you need to make it is a food processor and all purpose flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream.
Pulse together the flour and salt in the food processor a couple of times to mix and then add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse or blend on low speed until a crumbly dough is formed.
On floured work surface, divide the dough into three equal parts and form into discs about 3-4 inches in diameter. Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Prepare the Filling
Add walnuts, chocolate, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to a food processor or high powered blender. If you want to add an extra kick, you can also add a splash of bourbon. Blend until a paste is formed. You can leave a couple larger pieces of walnuts or blend until the mixture is completely smooth depending on your preference. I prefer to leave some texture like you can see in the picture below.
Assemble the Rugelach
The next few steps you will repeat for each disc of dough, working one at a time so the dough does not warm up too much.
Roll the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Make sure the dough has even thickness throughout.
Evenly spread 1/3 of the chocolate walnut filling on the rolled out dough.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges (like you would cut a pie).
Roll each wedge starting from the thick side to make a crescent roll shape. Place the rolled cookies point side down on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart.
Bake and Enjoy
Bake the rugelach at 350°F for 25-28 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and flaky. Some of the filling may seep out while baking and that's okay! Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Since there is no added sugar in the dough, these cookies are not overly sweet. If you prefer a sweeter dessert, you can dust the rugelach with powdered sugar once they have completely cooled.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Walnut Rugelach
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) cream cheese, cold and cubed
- 1/3 cup sour cream, cold
- 1 cup walnuts (preferably unsalted)
- 3/4 cups chopped baking chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp bourbon, optional
Instructions
- Add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to mix.
- Add the remaining dough ingredients (butter, cream cheese, and sour cream) to the food processor and pulse until a crumbly dough is formed.
- Using a floured work surface, divide the dough into three equal parts and form into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Add all of the ingredients for the filling to a food processor and blend until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If your baking sheets are small, you may need a third pan.
- Working one disc at a time, roll the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Make sure the dough has even thickness throughout.
- Evenly spread chocolate walnut filling on the rolled out dough, using 1/3 of the filling for each.
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges (like you would cut a pie). Roll each wedge starting from the thick side to make a crescent roll shape. Place the rolled cookies point side down on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and flaky. Some of the filling may seep out while baking and that's okay. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
