Rugelach

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Rugelach are small, crescent-shaped pastries that originated with Ashkenazi Jews in Poland. They’re made by rolling a triangle of dough around a sweet or sometimes savory filling and baking it. There are different ways to shape them: traditional crescents or sliced pieces like a strudel.

Dough can be dairy (cream cheese) or pareve (no dairy). Common fillings include raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate, marzipan, poppy seeds, or fruit preserves. Vanilla-filled rugelach have become popular in New York, and there are also savory versions, such as chicken with schmaltz or salmon with cheese.

Origin and name: the word rugelach comes from Polish rogaliki, meaning “little twists.” The pastry is tied to Polish Jewish communities. The idea that rugelach comes from a Viennese croissant is debated; croissants in their modern form appeared later, and rugelach predates them.