APPLE BUTTER RUGELACH

Yes, it’s me! I’m back with a new recipe after taking a break from the blog for the past, oh I don’t know, 9 months? But time flies when you feel like you just want to devote posting anything new strictly to Instagram as well as attempting to make Reels that will appeal to Gen Z. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then I envy you greatly and let’s just all be thrilled that I have something new in this corner of the internet.

Another reason why I’ve been a bit pre-occupied is because I’m pregnant (!) and expecting a baby girl by the end of the year - she may have the same birthday as me or might even be a New Year’s Eve baby. I’m almost in my third trimester, which is wild, but Alex and I are very happy and cannot wait to meet our girl in about 12 weeks. I luckily never had any nausea, but at the same time, I haven’t had any fun pregnancy cravings (bummer!), so my baking throughout this journey has stayed about the same. If anything, I’m cooking a lot more dinners and getting ready to prepare a ton of freezer meals for when the baby is here. Exciting information, I know.

Anyway! Today’s recipe is one that is very near and dear to me simply because it’s literally one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world, and I cannot believe I hadn’t posted a recipe for it yet. The recipe is for rugelach, a popular Jewish pastry, that is essentially a cookie made out of a buttery, cream cheese dough that is filled with either jams, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, or a combination of all of these. My go-to flavors when I visit a Jewish bakery are either apricot jam, cinnamon or chocolate filled, but honestly, I love them all and have yet to try a flavor that I didn’t enjoy. Although we’re not Jewish, my mom, sister and I all have a huge love for Jewish pastries, including babka, danishes, macaroons, and sufganiyah, so rugelach is something that I’ve happily eaten for years. Although I think it’s just about the best pastry in the world, not everyone knows about them, especially those who aren’t Jewish and I think that’s just about a crime. When I first started dating Alex. I had asked if he had ever tried them and he thought I was asking him about “arugula”, which still to this day makes me laugh.

Unlike chocolate chip cookies where you portion out scoops of cookie dough to bake off, rugelach is kind of treated like a pie dough in that it is formed into a disc and then is rolled out and shaped into either crescent or rectangular spirals. For this recipe, I chose to make crescents which are formed by rolling the dough into a very thin - about 1/8th of an inch thick - circle. That’s about 10 inches in diameter, if you have a ruler lying around. Rugelach dough at first is very sticky and therefore needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before rolling it out and shaping it, but I prefer just leaving it in the fridge overnight.

When it comes to rolling out the dough, don’t worry about making a *perfect* circle; I definitely don’t excel at rolling out doughs and usually end up with wonky edges and some cracks, but trust me when I say, it’ll still taste perfect in the end. Same goes for the filling and rolling of each individual cookie: some of the filling might “spill” out and even leak when baking in the oven, but that is totally normal and actually a good thing because it leads to a caramelized bottom that tastes amazing. I have made rugelach numerous times, and it’s rare that I get uniform cookies and that’s the beauty of them; each one is unique and has its own rustic look to it. Bottom line: rugelach is a very forgiving recipe and you shouldn’t be concerned with messing it up.

As for the filling, I decided that because it’s October and we’re starting to get cozy vibes here in California (I’m joking, it’s 77° and sunny here today), I wanted to put an autumn-spin on these. Instead of doing a simple raspberry or apricot jam, I chose to use apple butter, which is pretty much applesauce that is more cooked down and caramelized, as well as a mix of toasted chopped pecans/walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. It’s a fairly simple flavor combination, but tastes incredible and makes the whole house smell like fall when it’s baking in the oven. You can choose to make your own apple butter (here’s a link to my own recipe) or you can save yourself some time and buy it at the market. Another option would be to use pumpkin butter instead, which I’m fairly certain Trader Joe’s is selling right now. But feel free to save this recipe for the rugelach dough base and use any filling as you please in the future!

APPLE BUTTER RUGELACH

Makes 24 rugelach - recipe can easily be doubled

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup apple butter, homemade or store bought

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

  • 2 tbsp. sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

To finish:

  • 1 lrg. egg mixed w/ 1 tsp. water (egg wash)

  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

  • 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer) cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, about a minute or two. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix to combine. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and transfer the sticky dough to a floured surface and shape it into a ball. Cut the dough in half and shape each half into about an inch thick disc and wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.

  2. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, combine the chopped nuts, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. Take one of the chilled doughs out of the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a floured surface. Allow it to soften a bit for 5-10 minutes for easier rolling. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into about a 10-inch circle (does not need to be perfect!), which will be about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Spread half (1/4 cup) of the apple butter on the dough, leaving about 1/4in. border all around, and then spread half of the nut/sugar mixture over the apple butter.

  4. Using a pizza/pastry cutter or sharp knife (I prefer the former), cut the circle into 12 even triangles. Roll each triangle into a crescent by starting at the wider edge and working your way toward the center (narrow side). Place each rugelach crescent on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the crescent points facing down. Pop the baking sheet in the fridge while you work on the second dough disc.

  5. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp. of sugar and 3/4 tsp. of cinnamon - this is for finishing the rugelach. Take out the first set of rugelach from the fridge and brush each cookie with the egg wash and then give a generous sprinkling of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bake in the oven for 22-28 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat steps 3-5 for the second dough disc*.

    * I like to work on the second disc of dough while the first batch of rugelach is in the oven. Chill this dough for at least 10 minutes before popping it in the oven.

LEMON CARDAMOM CRINKLE COOKIES

Welcome to my first blog post of 2022! Like most people’s lives these days, it’s been a bit hectic for us over here with nonstop events and celebrations being thrown at us, all while trying to stay healthy and safe. From our wedding party in early December to celebrating Christmas/my birthday/New Year’s Eve to getting ready to travel to Germany next week for a wedding… we’ve clearly had a lot on our plates. On top of all of this, we’re moving again this month which is adding another layer of stress, but luckily we aren’t moving across the country this time.

Since I had taken such a long break from the blog in 2021, it’s been a minute since I shared a new cookie recipe and what better time to share one than now which happens to be citrus season. The recipe that I’m giving you today is Lemon Cardamom Crinkle Cookies and like every other cookie recipe I give you, it’s absolutely incredible. I actually made them for the first time this past Christmas when I was looking to switch up my usual Christmas cookie packages that I hand out to family members each year, and they ended up being a huge hit with everyone. I paired them along with my Ginger Molasses Cookies and Brown Butter, Pecan and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies for what I thought was the best variety of cookies you could ask for.

If you’re unfamiliar with this kind of cookie, they’re called “crinkle” cookies because of the crinkly pattern that forms while baking. This is achieved by rolling the cookie dough through confectioners’/powdered sugar before popping them in the oven, which leads to the powdered sugar cracking as the dough puffs up and eventually spreads. The end result is a beautiful, rustic design with no two cookies looking alike. In that regard, the cookies are kind of like snowflakes, which is why this is such a great cookie to make during the holiday/winter season. Unlike other typical cookies, these are softer and more cake-like in texture, which makes me love them even more.

When I had first made these cookies, I used basic store bought lemons and was thrilled with the results, but when I made them again using lemons picked fresh off of my mother-in-law’s tree in her backyard, the difference was staggering. The aroma and flavor of home grown lemons are so different from what you find in a typical grocery store - even the lemon skin is softer and easier to zest - and it honestly elevates the cookies even more so. I’m aware that many of my readers don’t have access to citrus trees like we do here in California, so if you can get your hands on an organic variety or even Meyer lemons, it’ll make all the difference. Just remember though that you’ll still have a delicious cookie regardless, so don’t feel bad if you can’t get anything but the standard variety.

Unlike other lemon crinkle cookies, my recipe only uses the zest of the lemon whereas others tend to add not only lemon juice, but lemon extract as well. I feel like that’s may be overdoing it a bit, and I can promise you that the zest is enough to achieve the perfect lemony flavor. Additionally, I added one of my favorite spices to bake with, cardamom, which pairs amazingly with lemon since the spice has fruity notes. The cool thing about using the ground cardamom is that you can actually see specs of it in the finished cookies which makes for a more interesting finish. A small amount of ground ginger is also added to round out the flavors and add brightness to the recipe. Another ingredient that you won’t find in my recipe is yellow food dye, which also tends to be the norm for lemon crinkle cookies. It’s added to the dough so that the final product isn’t as monotone and adds to the contrast in color between the cookie and crinkly top. I just don’t think it’s a necessary ingredient since it doesn’t contribute to the flavor in the end, but if you want to try it out, simply add 1-2 drops in the same step where you add the eggs and vanilla extract.

Lemon Cardamom Crinkle Cookies

Yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1 3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

  • 3/4 tsp. ground ginger

  • 3 tbsp. lemon zest (from about 4 large lemons)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted into a small bowl

Directions

  1. Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom and ginger together. Add the lemon zest and whisk until incorporated.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until properly mixed in, then add the vanilla extract. Scape down the sides of the bowl.

  3. Add the dry ingredients all at once to the stand mixer or bowl and turn the mixer on low for 10 seconds before increasing the speed to medium. Mix until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour - the dough will be sticky, so the longer it’s chilled. the easier it will be to roll the dough.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out roughly 1.5 tbsp. portions of cookie dough, shape it into a ball using your hands, then roll each one through the confectioners’ sugar. Make sure each ball is heavily covered in sugar; this will insure that you get the “crinkle” aspect of the cookie.

  5. Bake the cookies, 9 at a time, for about 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cookies will be done when they have properly cracked and the centers are puffed. We do not want the cookies to brown too much, so they will look like they’re underbaked, but they won’t be. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Since February, I’ve been on a quest to find a new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. After making my go-to recipe exclusively for years, which just so happens to be my pistachio chocolate chip cookie recipe sans the nuts, I felt like I needed to switch things up a bit. After scouring the internet for a basic recipe, I turned to my very small library of cookbooks here in Portland and found the winner within Baking at République.

Baking at République shares all the amazingly beautiful and decadent baked goods created by Margarita Manzke at the French restaurant République located in Los Angeles, CA. With a line outside the door just about every time you drive by it, Republique is deservedly famous not only for its stunning interior, but for the stellar lineup of pastries put on display in the front of the restaurant (they also serve lunch and dinner that is equally perfect). I am pretty picky when it comes to buying cookbooks especially since you can find just about any recipe on the internet these days, but trust me when I say that the République cookbook is worth it.

The chocolate chip cookie recipe from Baking at République is as straight-forward as it gets: there are only 8 ingredients, no browning of butters and no crazy ingredients added. The only thing that caught me off guard as I was reading through the recipe was the fact that there’s no vanilla extract (!!!) used. I actually thought my book had a misprint to the point that I cross-checked by finding the recipe on another random blog, but sure enough, my book’s recipe was actually correct. As any baker knows, the addition of vanilla extract is similar to adding salt to a recipe: it enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients in the recipe and essentially gives life to whatever dish it’s in. Without it, I was worried that the cookies would taste flat or bland, but to my surprise, I didn’t even notice it was missing when eating the cookies! The only thing I did notice was that the cookie dough didn’t smell as enticing as it normally would with vanilla in it (I seriously could smell cookie dough all day, every day), but that just meant it smelled more buttery, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’m not really sure why République chooses to leave the extract out - could be for cost purposes since we all know how expensive the stuff is - but after eating the cookies, I'm okay with their decision.

As I’m sure you noticed in the title of this recipe, these cookies have toffee in them and that’s because of a happy accident that occurred the first time I baked them. République’s recipe for these cookies calls for about 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate and at the time, I only had about half of that in my fridge. Determined to get the full amount of chocolate to dough ratio that was needed, I decided to add in chopped up Heath bars that I had leftover from making my coffee toffee ice cream. This turned out to be the best decision I could ever make and is what I think makes these perfect cookies that much better. Adding Heath or Skor candy bars to any dessert is kind of like cheating because you’re not only getting more chocolate (in this case, milk chocolate) but you’re getting the addicting caramel-y flavor of toffee that melts in your mouth. I know I said I wanted to find a new basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it’s 2021… we can add something a little interesting (even if it’s straight-up candy bars) to our cookies these days. If you want to make these cookies as just a normal chocolate chip cookie, simply leave out the toffee and add only the chocolate, but I promise you that the toffee candy doesn’t make it “too much” or overly decadent… the toffee is almost like a secret ingredient that elevates it. But as always, you do you.

The last thing I wanted to comment on is that I also shared the weight measurements for this recipe, something that I rarely do. As an American, baking with a scale isn’t the norm but I’ve been trying to get into the habit of doing it more often, especially since it requires less time in making the dough and less time cleaning up after.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields a dozen large cookies

Recipe adapted from the Baking at République Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tbsp. (175g) all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 tsp. (5g) baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cold (should leave an indentation when poked)

  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. (130g) packed light brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. (150g) mix of chopped dark chocolate AND chopped chocolate-covered toffee candy (Heath or Skor works) - I do equal parts of both

  • Flaky sea salt, to finish

Directions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Whisk until combined and set aside.

  2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer) cream the butter and both sugars together until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Try not to over mix, or the cookies will flatten more while baking. Add the egg and mix again.

  3. Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl all at once and turn the mixer on low for 10 seconds before increasing the speed to medium for about 30 seconds, or until the dough comes together. Again, try not to over mix the dough. Using a spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate and toffee pieces.

  4. Using a large cookie scoop or spoons, portion out 2oz. or 3 tablespoons of dough for each cookie (you should get 12 cookies), place them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough overnight / at least 12 hours.

  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F* and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  6. Bake the cookies for 8-11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown (bake only 4 cookies at a time to ensure the cookies will have enough room to spread). Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after pulling them out of the oven.

  7. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooking rack. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

* I’ve made these cookies a few times with the oven temperature at 375°F purposefully and accidentally (my oven isn’t the best) and they still came out amazingly. You’ll end up with a slightly crispier exterior and a deeper color, but it’s not too drastically different. So if you want a cookie like that, bake at 375° and knock a minute of two off the baking time!