Cooking Lesson #181: Mom’s Original Rugelach

The 2020 Holidays Recipe Collection

How you doin’? When Joan and I were the co-hosts of The Food Show we developed a Holiday Cookie Exchange for our audience. You’ve got to remember… this was before the internet and if people wanted to participate, they had to send in their recipes via snail mail! We published a book with all the recipes and each participant received one.
 
When the recipes were received, they were reviewed by our executive research and development team and turned over to the chefs in the California Kitchen to test bake. It was a fun time in the kitchen for all with Christmas Carols playing and a big tree off in the corner—everyone couldn’t help but get into the holiday spirit.

This recipe is an old family heirloom recipe that was made by my mother. I got this recipe from my brother, Roy, and have rewritten it pretty much the way it was originally received from her old friend, Amy Gollins. I did clean it up a little bit to make it more understandable.
 
As I kid, I watched my mother make this recipe and I even helped roll them out many times. I seem to remember she sometimes added sour cream to the dough, sometimes cream cheese and on one occasion some soapy dish water! It didn’t make any difference to her, she still baked them.
 
                                                   Mom’s Original Rugelach
                                                                               As written by Ed’s Mother (1956)
Prep time:  1 hour
Chill/proof time:  8 to 10 hours (or overnight)
Bake time:  15-20 minutes
Yield:  3 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients
1/2 pound butter
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup half and half
2 (.25-ounce) packets of yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
 
Cinnamon-Sugar Ratio
1 cup of granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon into a bowl
 
Directions

1. Mix butter with the egg yolks.
2. Gently warm the half and half.
3. Dissolve the yeast in the warm half and half.
4. Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the eggs and butter mixture.
5. Add the half and half/yeast mixture.
6. Then add in the flour.
7. Roll into a ball.
8. Divide the ball into 4 pieces and roll each smaller ball before flattening them into a round disk.
9. Wrap each dough disk with food film.
10. Place the dough disks in the refrigerator overnight.
11. Preheat an oven to 350⁰F.
12. Coat your baking pan with shortening.
13. Spread a board with cinnamon-sugar.
14. Roll out the dough and spread with more cinnamon sugar.
15. Roll each ball into a flat circle and cut into 6 triangle pieces.
16. Starting with the wide end of the triangle, roll each piece up so that the point is on top. Place it on the baking pan.
17. Bake the Rugelach for 15-20 minutes.
18. Remove from the sheet pan while the Rugelach are still hot to prevent them from sticking.

ChefSecret:  Not included in the original recipe… mom would whip up 6 egg whites with a cup of sugar and slather that onto the rolled-out dough before cutting and rolling into cookies.  She would let the dough rise for 20 minutes, baking them for 25 minutes until done. Feel free to add nuts, mini chocolate chips, even some jam to your taste.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Never make a Mother mad! She can remember stuff that hasn’t even happened yet.”
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Here is wishing you the very best for the upcoming holidays. To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind welcoming in the holiday season. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thank you for reading.

#Dessert #Cookies #Rugelach #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2020 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                            ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

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