What Is Rugelach?
Rugelach is a filled pastry cookie that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. These cookies are also popular in Israel, commonly found in most cafes and bakeries. The word “Rugelach” is Yiddish for “little twists.” They can be filled with many different ingredients. Rugelach can be made in slices, as we did here, or in a crescent shape.
Rugelach is made from a delicious cream cheese dough, that when baked becomes buttery, crunchy, tender, and flaky. If you’ve never tried these delicious cookies before, you’re in for a treat!
What Is Black Sesame Paste?
Made from ground black sesame seeds and sesame oil or honey, black sesame paste is a popular ingredient in Japanese and Asian cuisines. It has a rich black color and nutty, rich flavor. You can find this ingredient in your local Asian supermarket or online.
What Kind Of Matcha Should I Use?
We used our Barista Edition Ceremonial Grade Matcha. The sweet, bright tasting notes in this matcha pairs well with the sweetness in the dough, and the nuttiness of the black sesame paste. Culinary grade matcha would be a wonderful choice to use in this recipe as well!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp matcha, sifted
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup black sesame paste
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
- Black sesame seeds
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and matcha. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese and butter; cream until light. Mix in granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour and matcha mixture; mix until just combined. Dump dough out onto well-floured board and roll into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into rectangular shape. Spread dough with about 1 tbsp black sesame paste (do not over-fill; only needs a thin layer). From the long side, tightly roll into a log. Place logs seam-side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer logs to freezer; allow to chill for 10-20 minutes. While logs chill, preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Once chilled, remove from freezer and brush the tops of each log with egg wash; sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Slice logs into cookies about 1-inch in size. Evenly space cookies on prepared baking sheet, sesame seed side facing up. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Move to cookies to wire rack, allow to cool.
