Description
A forgiving, tender, and flaky rugelach recipe featuring a spiced apple filling and a sticky honey glaze, perfect for Rosh Hashanah or any autumn gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 8 oz (225g) full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vinegar
- 2–3 tablespoons ice water
- 3 medium firm apples (Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith), peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (2g) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons (40g) sugar
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons (30-45ml) honey
- 1–2 teaspoons (5-10ml) milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse flour and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cream cheese; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- Add vinegar and 2-3 tablespoons of ice water; pulse just until dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- While dough chills, sauté diced apples, 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until tender but firm. Cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll one dough disc into a 10-12 inch circle and cut into 8 equal wedges.
- Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of cooled apple filling onto the wide end of each wedge and roll toward the point. Place on baking sheets point-side down.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk confectioners’ sugar, honey, milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Drizzle glaze over the rugelach before serving.
Notes
Keep all ingredients cold for flaky pastry. Ensure apple filling is completely cool before filling to prevent dough from melting. Can be frozen raw before baking; add 2-3 minutes to bake time if baking from frozen. Glaze timing affects finish: matte when cool, glossy when warm.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 rugelach
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 65
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Rosh Hashanah, rugelach, apple dessert, honey glaze, holiday baking, Jewish cookies, autumn recipes, make-ahead dessert