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    The Bossy Kitchen > Recipes > Sweet Recipes > Cookies

    Jam And Walnuts Rugelach Cookies

    Published by: Gabriela July 23, 2019 · Last modified: June 7, 2023 7 Comments
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    Jam and walnuts rugelach cookies are perfect for making all year round for holidays, parties, or potlucks. They are easy to make, easy to serve, and delicious.

    Jump to Recipe
    JAM AND WALNUTS RUGELACH on plate with Christmas arrangement

    I was thinking that if I were going to make the world a better place, I would do it with cookies. Everyone loves cookies. They bring joy when we have a sweet tooth or a heartache. 🙂

    Jump to:
    • What is a rugelach?
    • How to make the jam and walnuts rugelach
    • Can I freeze the dough and use it later?
    • Can I freeze the baked cookies?
    • More recipes to love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What is a rugelach?

    Traditional rugelach are cookies made in a crescent form by rolling a triangle of dough filled with different ingredients.

    The filling could be any jam. It could be only nuts, chocolate spread, or Turkish delight. The fillings are versatile and vary from country to country. 

    These little delicious cookies are one of the many memories of my childhood.

    The "rugelach" name seems to come from the European Jewish communities, but it is, in fact, a trendy dessert all over Eastern Europe.

    If you travel to Transylvania, the dough is made with sour cream, sometimes lard, while in other parts of Romania, people use yeast or farmer cheese, etc.

    The cookies are easy to make, melt in your mouth, and you will not be able to stop eating after just one or two. Goodbye, diet, goodbye common sense! THEY. ARE. DELICIOUS!

    Over the years, I tried multiple recipes that use different ingredients, from lard to margarine and butter, yeast to yogurt, and baking soda. There are so many recipes out there that I had to try some of them.

    Recently, while I was looking through the books and recipes I have all over my house, I found this old recipe I totally forgot about. A pastry dough made with farmer cheese. Yes, you are reading correctly, farmer cheese!

    You can easily make Farmer cheese at home, so don't think you cannot make the cookies if you don't have any cheese.

    In the past, I used to make this dough all the time because it is versatile and easy to make.

    You can use the dough for anything. Romanians make pies with it, cookies, pastries, etc.

    The dough will not stick to your hands, it is easy to work with, and the final result is a flaky delicious product that will make you beg for more.

    This particular type of dough uses equal amounts of flour, farmer cheese, and butter.

    The recipe works for sweet or savory pastries, as you can either add sugar or salt to it, based on what you plan to make.

    How to make the jam and walnuts rugelach

    Step 1.

    Mix the soft butter, farmer cheese, flour, pinch of salt, and one tablespoon of sugar in a bowl. It would help if you ended up with something like this:

    dough in a red plastic bowl

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for a few hours or until the next day. 

    Step 2.

    When ready to make the cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and take out the jams and some chopped walnuts(optional).

    Step 3.

    Preheat the oven to 350F. 

    Roll out the dough over a lightly floured surface, giving it a round shape, like a small pizza.

    dough on a wood surface with rolling pin

    I used a pizza cutter to slice the dough. The idea is to have triangles of dough that will be filled with jam and then rolled.

    dough rolled on a wood surface for Jam and walnuts rugelach

    Step 4.

    Depending on how big you want to make the rugelach cookies, cut the dough into bigger or smaller triangles. 

    sliced dough(in 8) rolled on a wood surface for Jam and walnuts rugelach

    The rugelach cookies in Romania are tiny. Basically, they are the size of one bite. The ones I saw in the United States are definitely bigger than the Romanian ones.

    sliced dough(in 16 pieces) rolled on a wood surface for Jam and walnuts rugelach

    Step 5.

    Place a dollop of jam and a small piece of walnut (optional) on the bottom of one of your triangles.

    dough rolled on a wood surface for Jam and walnuts rugelach with jam and pieces of walnuts

    Note: There is another technique I learned later in life, which might be easier: After you roll out the dough, spread the jam on the entire surface and sprinkle chopped walnuts.

    Loosely roll up the cookie and place it on the cookie tray covered with parchment paper. 

    Rugelach with farmer cheese unbaked on parchment paper1

    Whatever method you use for this particular step is up to you. There is no right or wrong.

    Jam rugelach cookies on parchment paper

    Continue doing this with all your triangles until done. 

    Step 6.

    Bake the cookies at 350F for about 13-15 mins or until golden brown.

    JAM AND WALNUTS RUGELACH Pinterest22

    Remove the cookies from the tray and place them on a cooling rack.

    Prepare a bowl or a plate with powdered sugar. When cookies are cool, toss them in the powdered sugar, then place them on a platter.

    They are absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

    Jam and walnuts rugelach Pinterest size photo

    Can I freeze the dough and use it later?

    Yes, I did this numerous times in the past. You make a batch or more and use what you need. You can freeze the rest. The dough should be good for about 3 months in the freezer.

    Can I freeze the baked cookies?

    Yes, I do not see why not. Place them in an airtight container before you put them in the freezer.

    JAM AND WALNUTS RUGELACH on plate with Christmas arrangement

    Enjoy them!

    JAM AND WALNUTS RUGELACH on plate1

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    📖 Recipe

    JAM AND WALNUTS RUGELACH on plate square photo1

    Jam And Walnuts Rugelach Cookies

    Jam and walnuts rugelach cookies are perfect all year round for holidays or potlucks. Easy to make, easy to serve, and delicious.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Cookies
    Cuisine: Romanian
    Keyword: best rugelach, jam and walnuts rugelach (cornulete cu gem), rugelach cookies, rugelach pastries
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Inactive Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 32
    Calories: 95kcal
    Author: Gabriela
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks PLUS 5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
    • 1 ½ cups farmer cheese or ricotta
    • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • a pinch of salt
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

    For the filling:

    • 13 ounces Fruit Jam I used apricot jam and blackcurrant- you can use strawberry, raspberry, plums, apple
    • ¼ cup Chopped walnuts optional

    Instructions

    • Mix the soft butter, farmer cheese, flour, pinch of salt, and one tablespoon of sugar to obtain a dough.
    • Wrap in plastic foil and place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
    • Preheat the oven to 350F.
    • Remove the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it over a floured surface, giving it a round shape, about 13 inches big.
    • Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough. The idea is to have triangles of dough that will be filled with jam and then rolled. Cut about 16 triangles.
    • Put a dollop of jam and a small piece of walnut(optional) on the bottom of one of the triangles.
    • Loosely roll-up.
    • Place the cookie on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
    • Continue doing this with all your triangles until done.
    • Bake them at 350F for about 13-15 mins or until golden brown.
    • Remove them from the tray and place them on a cooling rack.
    • Prepare a plate or a bowl with powdered sugar and roll the cookies in it to cover.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or like us on Facebook!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      November 28, 2018 at 6:21 am

      5 stars

      Reply
    2. Anonymous says

      December 22, 2018 at 11:39 pm

      5 stars

      Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      April 16, 2019 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars

      Reply
    4. Adriana Bernea says

      December 03, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      I’m so glad I found you.
      Always looking for recipes from the old country that follow the standardized US measuring system.
      Now I can make “cornulete”,
      “Tort Diplomat” and many more delicious recipes which you so beautifully share with us all.

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        December 04, 2020 at 5:01 am

        Welcome to my blog! Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!

        Reply
    5. Rita says

      November 20, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Regarding the question to freeze or not to freeze. It's easy to freeze the baked cookies, if you leave off the powdered sugar, and dust them after they defrost. Also, I like to spread the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet & put them in the freezer for an hour and then put them into a freezer bag. If they are frozen before they go into the bag, they do not stick together and you can remove a half dozen or how many you want at a time. Just make sure to remove the air from the freezer bag before you put it back into the freezer.

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        November 20, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        Rita, this is great advice! Thank you!

        Reply

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    Gabriela the creator of The Bossy Kitchen

    Hi! I am Gabriela and this is my virtual home. I am a self-taught cook and a trained Pastry Chef. I inherited the cooking genes from my maternal grandma and the love for baking from my paternal grandma.

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