Rugelach: The Cookie Worth Two Bad Dates With An Inappropriate Man

If you’ve ever been to Jerusalem you’ve probably heard people speak at great length about Marzipan rugelach, and how completely amazing they are. Marzipan even sells special containers for their many customers who buy their rugelach and plan to bring them on planes back to Europe and the States. On Thursday afternoon and Friday the line from the Marzipan counter in Machane Yehuda can be fifty people long.

My great Marzipan story is that I once went on a date with one of the guys who works at the Marzipan counter. It was fun, but we both knew it wasn’t meant to be (though smart and attractive, this guy had all kinds of Jewish themed tattoos on his upper body, which was intriguing, but also suggested to me that he wasn’t quite as committed to halacha as I was) and parted ways amicably. I got free rugelach for a couple of months, which was pretty sweet. Then, a year later when I was back in Jerusalem I went back to Marzipan and he was there and didn’t recognize me. Apparently, though, his taste hadn’t changed because after a few minutes of chatting he asked me out again, apparently completely unaware that we’d already been down that road once before. I said no, but did accept some free rugelach.

Anyway, while I do love me some Marzipan, I think gooey rugelach kind of miss the point. Ideally rugelach filling should be kind of crumbly. This recipe, via one of my older sister’s teachers at our Orthodox high school, is really easy, quick, and a major crowd pleaser. I made it for my fiction writing class just before Rosh Hashana and it was a huge hit.

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Cinnamon Rugelach: yum!

First let the warm water proof with the yeast and sugar.

Rise, Baby

Meanwhile, combine the margarine and flour.

Fat + Carbs

Add eggs and the yeast mixture.

Frothy Is Good

Knead the dough until smooth and soft.

I Knead You

Grind up your filling. Here's cinnamon and nuts:

Warning: She May Contain Traces of Nuts

Put some filling on your surface and roll your dough out on top of it.

Not Too Thin

Cut it into twelve wedges.

Fractions ARE Useful

Roll 'em up and slap 'em down on a baking sheet.

Rolling With My Rugelies

Bake and then enjoy.

The Finished Product