Chocolate Rugelach
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking and NYT Cooking.
These chocolate rugelach follow the classic cream cheese pastry method, filled with a thick chocolate-cream spread and mini chocolate chips in place of the jam, walnuts and raisins.
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Method
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Equipment
- 2 large metal baking trays lined with baking paper
- food processor or stand mixer
- rolling pin
- pizza wheel or sharp knife
- pastry brush
- wire rack
- small saucepan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 105 kcal |
| Protein | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 8.6 g |
| of which sugars | 3.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 7.5 g |
| of which saturates | 4.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g |
| Salt | 0.11 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 48 servings
Dough
- 225 g full-fat cream cheese, cool but not fridge-hard
- 225 g unsalted butter, cool, cubed
- 25 g caster sugar
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 280 g plain flour
Chocolate filling
- 120 g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 60 ml double cream
- 40 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 60 g mini dark chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate
To finish
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for glazing
- 20 g caster sugar, for sprinkling
- 1
Make the chocolate filling. Heat the cream, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon in a small saucepan until just simmering, then pour it over the chopped chocolate and leave to sit for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth. This recipe follows the same cream cheese pastry as the classic rugelach, but swaps the jam, walnut and raisin filling for this thick chocolate spread and mini chocolate chips. Cool the mixture for about 30 minutes, until it's thick and spreadable rather than runny, since a runny filling will simply leak out once rolled.
- 2
Make the dough. Beat or pulse the cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt together until smooth, then add the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms. As with the classic version, there's no water in this dough — the cream cheese alone provides enough moisture for a tender, flaky result. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together to avoid overworking the gluten.
- 3
Chill the dough. Divide the dough into four, shape into flat discs, wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours, up to 2 days. This chill firms the dough enough to roll thinly without tearing. Make the chocolate filling during this time if you haven't already, so it's ready and properly cooled when you need it.
- 4
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) for at least 20 minutes before baking, with a shelf in the middle. While the oven heats, line two large metal baking trays with baking paper. A properly heated oven helps the pastry layers set quickly, before the chocolate filling has a chance to run.
- 5
Roll and fill. Roll one disc into a 23 cm round, about 3 mm thick, on a lightly floured surface — if it cracks, let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing. Spread a quarter of the thick chocolate filling over the round to within 1 cm of the edge, then scatter over a portion of the mini chocolate chips. Keeping that clear border around the edge stops the filling escaping once each piece is rolled up.
- 6
Cut and roll into crescents. Cut the round into 12 wedges and roll each one up from the wide end to the point. Place the rolled pieces point-side down, spaced 3 cm apart, on the lined trays. This shape naturally tucks the pointed end underneath, which helps the pastries keep their form as they bake.
- 7
Chill the shaped pastries. Chill the shaped rugelach for 15-20 minutes before baking, which firms the dough one more time so the layers don't collapse flat in the oven's initial heat. Repeat the rolling and filling with the remaining discs while this batch chills. This second chill matters more than ever with a rich chocolate filling, which can otherwise soften the dough quickly.
- 8
Glaze and bake. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown all over. Look for that deep colour rather than stopping early, since pale pastry tastes raw and floury however good the filling is. The dark chocolate filling can make it slightly harder to see any leaks, so check the tray for dark patches rather than relying on colour alone.
- 9
Cool quickly. Leave the rugelach on the tray for just 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Moving them promptly stops any leaked chocolate filling from setting hard and sticking the pastries to the paper. Makes 48 rugelach.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Both baked and unbaked shaped rugelach freeze well for up to 3 months; bake unbaked ones from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the time.
