How to Make Rugelach for Hanukkah

At holiday time, nothing is better than a traditional Jewish pastry during Hanukkah. Rugelach, which literally mean "little twists" in Yiddish, were cookies originally created by Jewish people from Poland. These tasty cookies almost look like a croissant, but are heartier and sweeter.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3 egg yolks
• Sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups flour
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 envelope of active yeast
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Cinnamon

Make Rugelach For Hanukkah

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the milk after warming it slightly on the stove or in the microwave. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.

2. Soften the butter by leaving it on the counter. Mix it in a separate bowl with the flour until the mixture is smooth.

3. Punch a well in the dough. Pour in the egg yolks and the yeast/milk mixture. Mix it until it becomes dough.

4. Divide the dough into four sections in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set it in the fridge to chill.

5. Take each section and roll it into a circle. Brush the circle with melted butter and scatter part of a mixture of 1 cup sugar, some cinnamon and nuts over the circle. For a healthier recipe, you also can add 3/4 cup of dried fruit and 1/2 cup of preserves to your filling mixture.

6. Cut the circle into wedges. Roll up the wedges and bend into a crescent. Cover the crescent with a sugar and cinnamon mix.

7. Bake the rugelach on cookie sheets in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow the cookies for cool for 30 minutes before removing them from the sheets.

Tips & Warnings

• You can always freeze your rugelach after you make them if you are not going to eat them all in a few days. To do this, layer the rugelach between layers of waxed paper and then wrap the whole plastic container in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
• It is traditional to serve hot tea with rugelach, but coffee is also a fine complement to these treats.
• Do not overmix the dough for your rugelach, as mixing the dough too much will make it stiff and difficult to work with.
• It is okay if your rugelach doesn't look quite like a crescent. It will still taste good as long as most of the filling is on the inside of the Hanukkah treat.