Cranberry-Orange Walnut Rugelach

makes 32 cookies

Rugelach, the crescent-shaped Jewish pastry, has been a personal favorite of mine since the first time I made them. The cream cheese-based dough is tender and buttery, pairing perfectly with a variety of fillings. My version features a festive combination of tart cranberry-orange jam, cinnamon-sugar, and toasted walnuts. Although 32 may seem like a lot, these bite-sized treats are definitely a "two-per-person" kind of cookie. They're delicious any time of year, but especially during your holiday celebrations.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

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INGREDIENTS

Rugelach

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (225 g)

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (226 g)

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (35 g)

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp orange zest

  • 1 tsp fresh orange juice

  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar

  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ cup roasted walnuts, finely chopped

  • To finish: heavy cream & extra sugar

Cranberry-Orange Jam

  • 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • ½ tsp orange zest

  • 4 tbsp fresh orange juice

  • Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

Make & Chill the Dough

  1. In a food processor, pulse the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, salt, egg, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice until combined. Add the flour and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, divide into two equal portions (about 380 g each), and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Make the Jam

  1. In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens, 10–15 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or food processor. Transfer to a container and let cool.

Make the Rugelach

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

  2. On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough at a time, keeping the other in the fridge. Roll into about a 12-inch circle, lifting the dough occasionally to prevent sticking and using your hands to maintain a circular shape as you roll. If the dough has softened, chill it for 15 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet tray before filling. Skip this step if the dough is still firm.

  3. Spread ⅓ cup of jam evenly over the dough using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar. Use a pizza cutter to divide the dough into 16 wedges. Top with chopped walnuts. Make a small notch at the wide end of each wedge, then roll each wedge from the wide end to the pointy tip. Ensure the pointy end is tucked underneath each cookie. Place on the prepared sheet trays, brush tops lightly with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sugar.

  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cookies are set and lightly golden-brown.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

  • Rugelach are one of my favorites because they’re so customizable! Feel free to play around with the fillings, using different jams, nuts, dried fruit, spices, or even chocolate.

  • For easier rolling, start with a perfect circle. This will help maintain the shape as you roll the dough out to size. The dough can get sticky, so use plenty of bench flour and lift the dough occasionally to prevent sticking. I like to chill the dough again after rolling and before filling to make it easier to handle.

  • You will have extra jam leftover, which will keep for up to 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.

  • To be precise and consistent when baking, I recommend using a Digital Food Scale. The one I linked is relatively inexpensive and in my opinion, a great investment for any home kitchen! But if you don’t have one, I’ll always include cup measurements as well.