Chocolate Rugelach

first attempt at making, added to my Christmas cookie box

I always make a christmas cookie box for friends and family around this time of the year so I was thinking about which cookies I should make this time. I made raspberry rugelach before but never tried making chocolate ones. So, I decided to try making chocolate rugelach this time! I’ve been craving chocolate lately, so this might have influenced my decision… haha

This year I made 5 cookies for my cookie box: matcha trees shortbread, zebra shortbread, apple cider rice krispies treats, ginger cheesecake, and these chocolate rugelach.

I referenced NYT cooking’s recipe found here.

Ingredients
Makes 48 pieces

Dough
2 cups (255 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese
1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter

Fudge
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup (61 grams) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
88 milliliters (6 tablespoons) heavy cream
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Crumb Filling
1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (45 grams) granulated sugar
1.5 (11 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (75 grams) chopped nuts, I used walnuts

Topping
Egg wash
Turbinado sugar

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Directions

1. Dough
   -Add 2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a food processor and blend everything together. Then add 1 cup butter and 8 ounces cream cheese to the flour mixture and pulse everything together until it resembles small pebbles, around 20-25 pulses.
   -Dump everything onto a surface and pat into a rectangle. Using a bench scraper, fold the dough onto itself 4-5 times until it all adheres together. Then divide the dough into four equal pieces. My dough weighed 807 grams so I divided it into 200 grams pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and form them into squares. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours but I prefer to leave them int he fridge overnight.

2. Fudge
   -Measure out 85 grams chocolate in a bowl and add 1/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to it. I cut the butter into smaller cubes. Then add 88 milliliters heavy cream and 1/4 cup sugar to a pot and heat it over medium heat while stirring occasionally. You want the sugar to fully dissolve, around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and then instantly pour the cream over the chocolate. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once the chocolate has softened, mix everything together until smooth. Set the fudge aside so that it comes to room temperature.

3. Crumb Filling
   -Add 1/2 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a bowl. Then add 4 tablespoons melted butter and stir everything gently together with a fork so that it forms moist crumbs. Set aside.
   -Chop 75 grams nuts into smaller pieces. I used walnuts.

4. Assembly
   -Take out your dough and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll it out into a rectangle. I didn’t measure the size but I’m estimating perhaps 13x6 inches? Then spread a quarter of the fudge evenly on top. Sprinkle a quarter of the crumb filling over the fudge and then a quarter of the nuts on top of that.
   -Starting with the long edge, roll the dough into a tight spiral. Make sure the seam is at the bottom of the roll. Then use a knife to cut the dough into 12-14 pieces. Each of my pieces were around 1-1.5 inches. Place all your pieces onto a baking tray, cover them with plastic wrap and return them to the refrigerator while you work on the second, third, and fourth doughs. As I’m working on one dough, I like to leave the next dough out in room temperature to soften.
   -Once you have made all of your rugelach pieces, cover them with plastic wrap and return them all to the refrigerator to harden so that they keep their shape more while baking. 30-60 minutes.

5. Baking
   -Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
   -Now take your rugelach out of the refrigerator and place them on two parchment-lined baking sheets, evenly spaced apart. Brush them with egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
   -Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.

6. Let them cool completely, then enjoy!

What’s your favorite rugelach flavor?