Nov 6, 20203 min read

Where did Rugelach Come From? ft. Michael Solomonov's Date and Hazelnut Rugelach.

Updated: Nov 10, 2020

Where Did Rugleach Come From?

Rugelach is a small crescent-shaped pastry, similar to a croissant, traditionally layered with raisins, cinnamon poppy seed paste, or nuts. The name comes from the Yiddish word “rogelekeh” which possibly came from the Polish word róg meaning horn or corner, with "ele" added to it to signify smallness or rogal, meaning a crescent-shaped roll, or the Yiddish rugel meaning royal.

Rugelach has been around since the 18th century. There is legend/theory that it originated to commemorate the expulsion of the Turks and the lifting of the Turkish siege. Austrian bakers made crescent-shaped pastries, kipferin, similar to the emblem of the Ottoman Empire, and was a pastry that allowed the Austrians to symbolically devour their enemy. A less exciting theory is that it evolved from the German kipferl or the Romanian cornulete, or the Hungarian kifli.

Rugelach has been all around eastern and western-central Europe and has ended as different pastries carrying the same name in the US and Israel. Rugelach became popularized in America in the 1940s by Ashkenazi Immigrants. In America, bakers crafted a simpler dough that does not have yeast, and has cream cheese in it. These changes eliminated the hours of rising and kneading. It is not traditional but has become a very common method.

In Hungary and Poland, Jews wanted to preserve the tradition of kneading, rising, folding. The yeast dough became more complex as fancy bakers made a laminated yeast dough, a dough that is very similar to a croissant, which has more layers of butter. Chocolate, poppyseed, and cinnamon fillings were traditional, but halva rugelach also became popular. Today rugelach is also filled with chocolate and fruit jams and has found a home at many non-Jewish bakeries. It is eaten as a treat on the Sabbath and also comes out for the holidays!

Pictured above is my attempt at Michael Solomonov's "Rugleach With Date Filling" recipe. They are made with cream cheese, are light, crispy, and have the perfect level of sweetness balanced with hazelnuts! The recipe makes 32 rugelach, so a great choice for sharing with family and friends.

Here is the recipe from https://www.jewishla.org/podcast/ep050-jays-4-questions-chef-michael-solomonov/

DOUGH:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 sticks (¾ pound) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
Pinch salt
½ cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour

DATE FILLING:

1 cup dried dates
1 cup hazelnuts
6 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

For the dough: Combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment (or use a hand mixer and a big bowl). Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add half the sour cream and half the flour. Mix again on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining sour cream and flour and mix once more again until just combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
For the filling: Put the dried dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water by an inch. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain the dates.
While the dates are soaking, combine the hazelnuts and brown sugar in a food processor and process, scraping down the bowl as needed, until it reaches a wet-sand consistency, about 5 minutes. Add the dates and ¼ cup water and puree until a sticky, smooth, spreadable paste has formed.
To make the rugelach: Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with oiled parchment. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. (Refrigerate the dough you’re not working with.) Roll one quarter of the dough into a 10-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. To neaten the edges, I like to invert a 10-inch bowl and cut around it. Spread one quarter of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edge. Slice into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge into a coil, starting at the thick edge. Arrange on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough and filling. Bake until light brown, about 35 minutes. The rugelach will keep in a covered container at room temperature for about 2 days and frozen for up to 2 weeks.