Name: Rugelach/Cornulete Recipe
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 9 h 30 min
Yield: 50
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 1 tsp yeast; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp warm water; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1/2 tsp baking powder; dash salt; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 large egg yolks, room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla; 4 large egg whites, room temperature; 1 cup granulated sugar; 4 cup loosely ground walnuts; 1 tsp cinnamon; 4 large egg whites, room temperature; 1 cup granulated sugar; 3 1/2 cup loosely ground walnuts; 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, spooned and leveled; 3 tsp espresso powder

Jump to Recipe

Anyway back to the cookies. We grew up eating these & we called them cornulete cu nuca, which basically means a little walnut croissant. But then recently, I’ve seen so many people making these online & they’re called Rugelach, which is a pretty popular Jewish dessert. Originally they’re made with cream cheese dough but momma bear makes them without, not sure why, so I decided to share the recipe my family is more familiar with. I’m sure the taste of the dough isn’t a huge difference anyway.

Also, my mom makes these with walnuts, sugar & egg whites. I decided to be fancy by adding cocoa powder & espresso to one & cinnamon to the other. I highly advise you go with my version because it made them soooo much better (not that they weren’t already great).

This is totally that kind of dessert you eat for breakfast with your coffee or eat after dinner…or both. So have at it & make sure to tag me @baranbakery or #bakewithb if you make them! I’m gonna go try & take some more photos & write tomorrows post so we don’t have this delay again. As always,

Love, B

Yield: 50 small cookies

Rugelach/Cornulete Recipe

A Jewish dessert know as rugelach (or cornulete for Romanians) - cookie dough with walnut cinnamon filling rolled into cute little cookies!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

1 tsp yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Walnut Filling

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cup loosely ground walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon

Chocolate Espresso Walnut Filling

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cup loosely ground walnuts
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
3 tsp espresso powder

Instructions

Dough

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and allow it to rest.
Begin with combining the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a flat beater, incorporate the butter into the flour, until pea size chunks form.
Add the sour cream, egg yolks and vanilla to the yeasted water. Mix until they're combined and then with the mixer on low speed, pour the wet mixture into the flour/butter mixture and beat until everything is fully combined into a soft dough.
Cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight. If not, the dough will be too soft and you don't want to add too much extra flour when trying to work with it.

Filling

Whip the egg whites and sugar into soft peaks.
Fold in the walnuts and either the cinnamon or cocoa powder and espresso (whichever filling you are making) until fully incorporated.

Assemble

Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional).
After chilling the dough, separate the dough into 4-6 chunks (separating into 4 will make larger cookies. I prefer tiny ones, so I separate it into 6). Roll out each chunk, as thin as possible without tearing the dough, and then slice like a pizza into 6, 8, or 12 pieces depending on how big you want them. Remember they grow in the oven a little.
Spread 1 tsp of filling on each triangle, leaving a little room on the edge so it has room to spread in the oven. Roll them up tight, starting with the wider end, and place them about two inches apart on a baking pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes (depending on the size you make them) just until they start browning.
Remove them and allow them to cool before topping with a little icing sugar!

Notes

If you are making both fillings, halve the recipe for the fillings for this amount of dough.