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Rugelah, baking at home

Rugelah, baking at home
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  • Rugelah, baking at home

    Post #1 - May 19th, 2024, 6:52 pm
    Post #1 - May 19th, 2024, 6:52 pm Post #1 - May 19th, 2024, 6:52 pm
    (Mostly) followed Helen Rennie's youtube video for rugelah. These are rolled into logs (not crescents), cut 3/4 of the way through the logs, baked and then cut again, into separate pieces, ~30 minutes after the bake. This keeps them intact and prevents filling loss, as well as burning of the filling during baking.

    I was seeking a pure cinnamon-raisin-nut experience, so I omitted the orange and lemon zest. There are also some apricot preserves but I expected that after the bake, they'd end up fairly neutral, which they did. I used a 50/50 combo of walnuts and pecans, both of which I roasted and chopped before inclusion. This recipe makes ~40 1 inch-wide pieces . . .


    Image
    Cinnamon-Raisin-Nut Rugelah
    On the platter.

    Image
    Rugelah
    Plated Up.

    This was the first recipe of hers I've tried (and first time baking rugelah). It was a test batch and given how well it went, I'll definitely make them again down the road. I don't expect they'll keep very well, so we'll snarf down a few of them and I'll bring the rest to work to share.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2 - May 19th, 2024, 7:01 pm
    Post #2 - May 19th, 2024, 7:01 pm Post #2 - May 19th, 2024, 7:01 pm
    Beautiful, Ronnie. They look s lot like my grandmother's did.

    She had two varieties: cinnamon nut raisin like yours, and one with pineapple and coconut (maybe golden raisin?). I'll have to see if we have the recipe for the latter.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #3 - May 19th, 2024, 10:34 pm
    Post #3 - May 19th, 2024, 10:34 pm Post #3 - May 19th, 2024, 10:34 pm
    JoelF wrote:Beautiful, Ronnie. They look s lot like my grandmother's did.

    She had two varieties: cinnamon nut raisin like yours, and one with pineapple and coconut (maybe golden raisin?). I'll have to see if we have the recipe for the latter.

    Thanks, Joel. Considering I'm not much of a baker and this was my first time out, I was pleased with the outcome. There's plenty of room for improvement but that's mainly on me to get better at some of the techniques.

    For me, the hardest part was rolling out the dough into 4 separate 12 x 8" sheets. Once rolled, the sheets are placed in the fridge until you're ready to fill them and roll them into logs. Everything else, including actually making the dough, and filling them was easier than I expected.

    Fwiw, I used golden raisins for these because I like them better for baking than dark raisins. When making these, I realized that they contain neither eggs nor vanilla. I can't think of another baking/dessert recipe that doesn't call for either of those ingredients but again, I'm not a particularly experienced baker.

    I hope you can find your grandmother's recipe. What fun that would be, especially because I know Sue can really throw down when it comes to baking.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #4 - May 20th, 2024, 7:07 am
    Post #4 - May 20th, 2024, 7:07 am Post #4 - May 20th, 2024, 7:07 am
    Wow- really good work. The size is so consistent and they are lovely!

    The closest I've come to baking rugelach is replacing the standard cinnamon roll filling with a rugelach filing (it seemed like a good idea, but I do not recommend - it was way too sweet).

    I'm curious - why do you prefer golden raisins for baking?
  • Post #5 - May 20th, 2024, 9:07 am
    Post #5 - May 20th, 2024, 9:07 am Post #5 - May 20th, 2024, 9:07 am
    Very nice looking lil' cookies!
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Fwiw, I used golden raisins for these because I like them better for baking than dark raisins. When making these, I realized that they contain neither eggs nor vanilla. I can't think of another baking/dessert recipe that doesn't call for either of those ingredients...
    That's an easy one: most fruit pies.

    I can imagine the golden raisins, with their more tart/less sweet flavor than dark ones, would be a good mix for the apricot preserves especially with Ms. Rennie's comment about putting sugar in the filling. If an even less sweet filling was desired, could sub reconstituted dried apricots for some of the preserves.

    And the partial slicing is a really interesting solution to the leakage and burning problems.

    Did you use a .01g resolution scale as specified? :lol:
  • Post #6 - May 20th, 2024, 12:23 pm
    Post #6 - May 20th, 2024, 12:23 pm Post #6 - May 20th, 2024, 12:23 pm
    tjr wrote:Very nice looking lil' cookies!

    Thanks!
    tjr wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Fwiw, I used golden raisins for these because I like them better for baking than dark raisins. When making these, I realized that they contain neither eggs nor vanilla. I can't think of another baking/dessert recipe that doesn't call for either of those ingredients...
    That's an easy one: most fruit pies.

    Don't many fruit pies include vanilla in their filling? In any case, I know some don't and I didn't think of them. Another is baklava. Still, there aren't too many.

    tjr wrote:I can imagine the golden raisins, with their more tart/less sweet flavor than dark ones, would be a good mix for the apricot preserves especially with Ms. Rennie's comment about putting sugar in the filling. If an even less sweet filling was desired, could sub reconstituted dried apricots for some of the preserves.

    And the partial slicing is a really interesting solution to the leakage and burning problems.

    Did you use a .01g resolution scale as specified? :lol:

    LOL, no. Just measured that volumetrically.

    zorkmead wrote:Wow- really good work. The size is so consistent and they are lovely!

    The closest I've come to baking rugelach is replacing the standard cinnamon roll filling with a rugelach filing (it seemed like a good idea, but I do not recommend - it was way too sweet).

    I'm curious - why do you prefer golden raisins for baking?

    Thanks. Getting the size right has to be the easiest part. I used a ruler and a petty knife with a very thin/sharp blade. That said, I think I'd go a little wider next time, maybe 1.5" instead of 1".

    The par-slice > bake > finish-slice method is really solid. They baked well, cut easily and leached virtually nothing onto the parchment paper during the bake. I'm not opposed to doing more work when it's worth it but imo, rolling into crescents takes more time and doesn't seem to provide much of a pay-off in exchange for the extra labor. Not that I've baked these before but we've all had rugelah with those unfortunate burnt ends. When it comes to burnt ends, brisket only, please! :lol:

    I prefer golden raisins because I think they have a more distinct flavor than 'standard' raisins. I also think they look nicer in the finished product. In many cases, they're also moister than the standard issue but that's anecdotal. I'm not opposed to plumping raisins before use but that can sometimes lead to undesired moisture in the mix.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #7 - June 8th, 2024, 2:05 pm
    Post #7 - June 8th, 2024, 2:05 pm Post #7 - June 8th, 2024, 2:05 pm
    Another round of rugelah . . .

    Image
    On The Plate
    This time, I used a combination of apricot preserves and pureed medjool dates (instead of just apricot preserves) as the base. I'm not sure the resulting reduced tartness and increased sweetness made them better or worse. Also, after tasting them side by side, I chose regular raisins over sultanas. The sultanas had an off note (maybe a drying aid) that stood out, and not in a good way. The standard raisins had a much cleaner flavor.

    Image
    Up Close
    The only real hard part here is rolling them but the rest is fairly straightforward. And even then, while the dough is somewhat fragile, it's also relatively forgiving. So, if cracks develop when you're rolling out the dough sheets, it's easy enough to patch them up without any ill effects. Bottom line is that they're definitely worth the effort, especially since buying good ones seems just about impossible these days.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #8 - June 8th, 2024, 2:14 pm
    Post #8 - June 8th, 2024, 2:14 pm Post #8 - June 8th, 2024, 2:14 pm
    ronnie, those rugulah look delicious. as someone who has baked thousands of rugulah over the decades, i love the style you're making- the crescents ARE a bit of a pain- as the circles of dough can either be too soft or too firm for easy assembly...i wanted to suggest that you might like to try zante currants instead of raisins- they taste almost the same, but because they are tiny, they're easy to incorporate in the filling. they are what i always used.... keep those sweets coming....
  • Post #9 - June 8th, 2024, 2:25 pm
    Post #9 - June 8th, 2024, 2:25 pm Post #9 - June 8th, 2024, 2:25 pm
    justjoan wrote:ronnie, those rugulah look delicious. as someone who has baked thousands of rugulah over the decades, i love the style you're making- the crescents ARE a bit of a pain- as the circles of dough can either be too soft or too firm for easy assembly...i wanted to suggest that you might like to try zante currants instead of raisins- they taste almost the same, but because they are tiny, they're easy to incorporate in the filling. they are what i always used.... keep those sweets coming....

    Thanks, Joan. I really appreciate the tip and will definitely give the zante currants a try :) Btw, I can't take any credit for the style. That was a Helen Rennie thing and it just seemed easier and more foolproof than crescent-style. Since I'm a neophyte, it was a perfect fit.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #10 - December 16th, 2024, 11:33 pm
    Post #10 - December 16th, 2024, 11:33 pm Post #10 - December 16th, 2024, 11:33 pm
    Took a stab at a Claire Saffitz variation on rugelah. This is a recipe from her second book What's For Dessert. She recently posted a video about it on her youtube channel, so with a cookie exchange coming up at work later this week, I figured I'd give them a trial run . . .

    Image
    Prune & Almond Rugelah

    These turned out really great, with a beautiful depth of flavor. The dough uses almond paste (plus butter and cream cheese), and the prune filling is par-cooked with butter and port (along with some other components). In the end, the degree of difficulty here is slightly higher than it initially seems, mainly because the filling takes a while to come together and cool, and the dough, while forgiving is relatively fragile (there's very little flour in it). My n00b rolling skills were really challenged here.

    In any case, I think these are a go for the cookie exchange. That's a good thing because I doubled up on both the filling and the dough when I made the test batch, so a lot of the work is already done. I hope they'll go over well.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #11 - December 17th, 2024, 2:38 pm
    Post #11 - December 17th, 2024, 2:38 pm Post #11 - December 17th, 2024, 2:38 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:These turned out really great, with a beautiful depth of flavor. The dough uses almond paste (plus butter and cream cheese), and the prune filling is par-cooked with butter and port (along with some other components). In the end, the degree of difficulty here is slightly higher than it initially seems, mainly because the filling takes a while to come together and cool, and the dough, while forgiving is relatively fragile (there's very little flour in it). My n00b rolling skills were really challenged here.


    I really wish I could try one of these! That filling sounds wonderful!

    - zorkmead
  • Post #12 - December 17th, 2024, 6:28 pm
    Post #12 - December 17th, 2024, 6:28 pm Post #12 - December 17th, 2024, 6:28 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Took a stab at a Claire Saffitz variation on rugelah. This is a recipe from her second book What's For Dessert. She recently posted a video about it on her youtube channel, so with a cookie exchange coming up at work later this week, I figured I'd give them a trial run . . .

    Image
    Prune & Almond Rugelah

    These turned out really great, with a beautiful depth of flavor. The dough uses almond paste (plus butter and cream cheese), and the prune filling is par-cooked with butter and port (along with some other components). In the end, the degree of difficulty here is slightly higher than it initially seems, mainly because the filling takes a while to come together and cool, and the dough, while forgiving is relatively fragile (there's very little flour in it). My n00b rolling skills were really challenged here.

    In any case, I think these are a go for the cookie exchange. That's a good thing because I doubled up on both the filling and the dough when I made the test batch, so a lot of the work is already done. I hope they'll go over well.

    =R=



    nice work! how's your spirits for her buche du noel cookie, a similar rolled dough, cream cheese fortified (in nyt)? i might do saturday.
  • Post #13 - December 17th, 2024, 10:44 pm
    Post #13 - December 17th, 2024, 10:44 pm Post #13 - December 17th, 2024, 10:44 pm
    annak wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Took a stab at a Claire Saffitz variation on rugelah. This is a recipe from her second book What's For Dessert. She recently posted a video about it on her youtube channel, so with a cookie exchange coming up at work later this week, I figured I'd give them a trial run . . .

    Image
    Prune & Almond Rugelah

    These turned out really great, with a beautiful depth of flavor. The dough uses almond paste (plus butter and cream cheese), and the prune filling is par-cooked with butter and port (along with some other components). In the end, the degree of difficulty here is slightly higher than it initially seems, mainly because the filling takes a while to come together and cool, and the dough, while forgiving is relatively fragile (there's very little flour in it). My n00b rolling skills were really challenged here.

    In any case, I think these are a go for the cookie exchange. That's a good thing because I doubled up on both the filling and the dough when I made the test batch, so a lot of the work is already done. I hope they'll go over well.

    =R=

    nice work! how's your spirits for her buche du noel cookie, a similar rolled dough, cream cheese fortified (in nyt)? i might do saturday.

    Thanks. Those look really great. I'd love to give those a try, too. Not sure I have the skills or patience for them, though. Would love to know the outcome if you give them a whirl.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #14 - December 19th, 2024, 8:43 am
    Post #14 - December 19th, 2024, 8:43 am Post #14 - December 19th, 2024, 8:43 am
    Sometimes I make rugelach with leftover haroseth from passover
    if it's very chunky, I just chop it some more in the food processor.
    Always is very yummy, but my haroseth always includes a lot of dried fruit.

    Also if you make a fruit filling for hamantaschen, if there's leftover it works well in rugelach too!

    Might try making some with leftover cranberry sauce....

    and FWIW I don't do crescents, just rolls like in Ronnie's first post -
    next time I'll have to try the partial cutting method.
    "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home."
    ~James Michener
  • Post #15 - December 19th, 2024, 4:25 pm
    Post #15 - December 19th, 2024, 4:25 pm Post #15 - December 19th, 2024, 4:25 pm
    irisarbor wrote:Sometimes I make rugelach with leftover haroseth from passover
    if it's very chunky, I just chop it some more in the food processor.
    Always is very yummy, but my haroseth always includes a lot of dried fruit.

    Also if you make a fruit filling for hamantaschen, if there's leftover it works well in rugelach too!

    Might try making some with leftover cranberry sauce....

    and FWIW I don't do crescents, just rolls like in Ronnie's first post -
    next time I'll have to try the partial cutting method.

    I LOVE the idea of just filling them with whatever nice thing you already have on hand. That's a smart move from an experienced baker! Thanks, for sharing! :)

    I can't take any credit for either of the assembly methods I've used. The partial cut/log method was Helen Rennie. And it made sense because the filling on those was somewhat chunky, and that method helps keep the filling intact.

    The crescent method is what Claire Saffitz used in her video and for this style -- with a relatively smooth, homegenous filling -- it made perfect sense. Rolling round, spreading the filling evenly across the whole surface, using a pizza wheel to cut it into 16 wedges and rolling crescents was the most efficient plan of attack.

    Round 2/today's cookie exchange went well . . .

    Image
    Almond & Prune Rugelah

    I took some knowledge away from Round 1 that, I think, improved Round 2. I baked these a bit longer and also was more aggressive with the pre-bake demerara sugar sprinkle. That left this second round with an element of surface crunchiness that was a bit lacking last time. I also let the filling come to room temperature before applying it to the dough (last time it was cold). The warmer filling spread way more easily and allowed me to work faster and more efficiently. The rest was all the same, since I made the filling and the dough for both rounds at the same time. Very happy with these. Learned some things that I'll (hopefully) remember for next time.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #16 - December 20th, 2024, 9:39 am
    Post #16 - December 20th, 2024, 9:39 am Post #16 - December 20th, 2024, 9:39 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I took some knowledge away from Round 1 that, I think, improved Round 2. I baked these a bit longer and also was more aggressive with the pre-bake demerara sugar sprinkle. That left this second round with an element of surface crunchiness that was a bit lacking last time.


    This made me smile - I don't think it is possible to overdo a demerara sugar sprinkle (Yum) - love that crunch on a pastry like Rugelah and muffins, and all sorts of other baked goods!

    - zorkmead
  • Post #17 - December 20th, 2024, 10:57 am
    Post #17 - December 20th, 2024, 10:57 am Post #17 - December 20th, 2024, 10:57 am
    zorkmead wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I took some knowledge away from Round 1 that, I think, improved Round 2. I baked these a bit longer and also was more aggressive with the pre-bake demerara sugar sprinkle. That left this second round with an element of surface crunchiness that was a bit lacking last time.


    This made me smile - I don't think it is possible to overdo a demerara sugar sprinkle (Yum) - love that crunch on a pastry like Rugelah and muffins, and all sorts of other baked goods!

    - zorkmead

    LOL, yes. I'm slowly learning that no amount is too much! :D

    =R=
    Same planet, different world

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