Chocolate Rugelach

Soft, sweet, and chocolatey rugelach, like the bakery ones I grew up eating. Rugelach sometimes refers to a lightly crisp Jewish cookie with a similar shape, but these rugelach are made with an enriched yeast dough, rolled thin and stuffed with a traditional butter-cocoa-sugar filling. After baking, they get soaked in simple syrup for a bit of shine and sweetness, keeping them extra moist. If you love chocolate babka, think of rugelach as tiny croissant-shaped babkas. They are a bit of a messy labor of love to make, but the joy of pulling a pan of homemade rugelach from the oven is unmatched. Makes about 25 rugelach.

Ingredients:

• For the dough:
  • 120 grams whole milk
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 265 grams all-purpose flour
  • 20 grams white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 40 grams neutral oil (such as sunflower or avocado)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
• Cocoa filling:
  • 100 grams unsalted butter, melted
  • 75 grams cocoa powder
  • 125 grams granulated white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
  • a pinch of salt
  • chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)
    • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing on top
• Simple syrup:
  • 50 grams water
  • 50 grams brown sugar or granulated white sugar
  • a pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Make the dough:
   1. Place the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let sit for 5 minutes to give the yeast a head start.
   2. Add the rest of the dough ingredients to the bowl. Knead on low-medium speed for 12-15 minutes, until a sticky but uniform dough forms. If the dough isn’t coming together, add up to a tablespoon of extra flour.
   3. Cover the dough and let rise for about an hour.
   4. At this point, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. I recommend chilling your dough so it’s easier to work with.
2. Make the filling: Combine the melted butter, cocoa, sugar, salt and espresso in a bowl until a smooth paste has formed. Taste and adjust to preference – keep in mind that the simple syrup will sweeten the rugelach further.
3. Shape the rugelach:
   1. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 45 x 55 cm or 18 x 20 inches).
   2. Spread the filling evenly across the dough.
   3. Fold the rectangle in half.
   4. Roll the folded dough out again into a wider rectangle. If you’re struggling to work with the dough, cut into two parts and then roll each half out separately.
   5. Cut into long triangles (this is easiest with a pizza cutter, but a sharp knife works too). Stretch out each triangle of dough and roll up, starting with the wide end, then tucking the ends underneath.
   6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spaced about half an inch to an inch apart.
4. Let the rugelach rise, covered, for 20-30 minutes, or until they’ve puffed up slightly. They won’t rise dramatically, as they’re weighed down with lots of filling.
5. Heat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
6. Brush the rugelach generously with heavy cream.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out free of dough (but likely covered in chocolate). Avoid overbaking, or they’ll be dry.
8. Make the syrup: While the rugelach are baking, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook on low heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. When the rugelach are done baking and still warm, pour the syrup over the buns.
9. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!
   • Chocolate rugelach are best fresh, but can be stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a day, or frozen for longer storage. Gently reheated in the microwave, they’re incredible and just as good as a freshly baked pastry.

Notes:

• Shaping: Instead of shaping these like classic rugelach, an easier way to shape them is to simply cut them into strips and roll them up, cinnamon roll style – see these babka buns!
• Filling: This filling is similar to the traditional rugelach and babkas I grew up eating, but it is very flexible and can be changed to your tastes – reduce the sugar for a more bittersweet flavor or reduce the cocoa for a sweeter and milder rugelach, add chopped nuts, cinnamon, graham cracker crumbs, anything you like!
• Cocoa: The type of cocoa you use will greatly affect the flavor of the rugelach, so use the best quality you can. My favorites are Cacao Barry’s Extra Brute and Valrhona’s cocoa powder.
• Making dough without a stand mixer: This dough can be kneaded by hand, but will take longer – start by mixing all the ingredients with a spoon, then cover and let sit for 30 minutes, and then start kneading in the bowl. Once it comes together, move to a clean surface and continue kneading until smooth.