Chocolate Walnut Rugelach: Buttery Cream Cheese Crescents
Classic Jewish-American rugelach with a tender, flaky cream cheese dough and rich chocolate-walnut filling. These crescent-shaped cookies balance crispy edges with tender centers, enhanced by cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for holiday platters, gift-giving, or Shabbat dessert tables. This version uses the food processor for quick dough assembly and allows advance freezing, making it ideal for batch baking.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flourpastry flour1:1bakingadvanced
more tender crumb
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ pound unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 8 ounce cream cheese, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate minichipsdark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate1:1baking
darker, more bitter flavor
- 2 ¼ cup walnuts, chopped very fine
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- 1
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined.
- 2
Scatter chilled butter and cream cheese pieces over flour mixture.
- 3
Add sour cream and pulse until mixture resembles cottage cheese curds with uneven pebbles, about sixteen 1-second pulses.
- 4
Turn dough onto work surface and press into a 9-inch by 6-inch log.
- 5
Divide log into four equal portions.
- 6
Press each quarter into a flat disk about 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
- 7
Place each disk between two pieces of plastic wrap and roll into an 8 1/2-inch disk.
- 8
Stack disks with plastic wrap intact on a large plate and freeze 30 minutes or up to 1 month in a freezer bag.
- 9
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
- 10
Remove one dough round from freezer.
- 11
Spread 1/4 cup minichips over dough, then 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, then 1/2 cup walnuts in that order.
- 12
Pat filling down gently with fingers.
- 13
Cut dough round into eight wedges.
- 14
Roll each wedge into a crescent shape.
- 15
Place crescents at 2-inch intervals on parchment-lined heavy rimmed baking pans.
- 16
Freeze crescents at least 15 minutes or up to 6 weeks in a freezer bag.
- 17
Repeat with remaining dough rounds.
- 18
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- 19
Whisk egg yolks and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
- 20
Brush tops and sides of frozen crescents with egg-milk mixture.
- 21
Bake crescents, rotating pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until pale gold and slightly puffy, 21 to 23 minutes.
- 22
Immediately sprinkle each cookie with a teaspoon cinnamon sugar.
- 23
Using a thin-bladed spatula, carefully transfer hot cookies to a cooling rack.
Tips
Keep all dough ingredients cold before processing; cold butter and cream cheese create flaky layers. Pulse gently to avoid overdeveloping gluten and creating tough cookies.
Roll one dough round at a time directly from the freezer to prevent sticking. Work quickly so dough doesn't warm; refill parchment pans as crescents freeze.
Rotate baking pans halfway through to ensure even browning. Cookies are fragile when hot; let cool 2 minutes on pan before transferring to rack.
Good to Know
Freeze unbaked crescents up to 6 weeks in an airtight freezer bag, separating layers with parchment. Bake directly from frozen without thawing. Store baked rugelach in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze baked cookies up to 2 months.
Prepare dough disks and freeze up to 1 month. Shape and freeze crescents up to 6 weeks before baking. Assemble and freeze in batches over multiple days for convenient baking.
Serve at room temperature with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Arrange on platters for holiday buffets, Shabbat tables, or gift boxes. Best enjoyed within 1-2 days of baking for optimal texture.
Common Mistakes
Pulse dough too long to avoid overdeveloped gluten and tough, dense cookies.
Use cold butter and cream cheese to avoid greasy, flat dough that doesn't rise.
Do not thaw crescents before baking to avoid soggy bottoms and loss of flakiness.
Rotate pans halfway through baking to avoid pale or burnt bottoms from uneven oven heat.
Transfer hot cookies too soon to avoid tearing; wait 2 minutes for minimal set before moving.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
darker, more bitter flavor
more tender crumb
FAQ
Can I prepare the dough ahead and freeze it?
Yes. After rolling into disks and wrapping in plastic, freeze up to 1 month in a freezer bag. You can also freeze shaped crescents up to 6 weeks. Bake directly from frozen; add 1-2 minutes to baking time if needed.
What if my crescents spread too much during baking?
Your dough or filling may have warmed too much before baking. Ensure crescents are fully frozen at least 15 minutes before baking. Work quickly when filling to prevent dough softening, and keep oven at 375 F for proper rise.
How long do baked rugelach keep?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, baked rugelach stay fresh 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Thaw at room temperature 1 hour before serving.