Sprinkles Rugelach
Playful on the outside, precise at heart. The filling is simply cream cheese sweetened with sugar—it bakes into a soft, tangy seam inside the dough. The real trick is the sprinkles: Press them onto the egg-washed tops right before baking so they adhere without bleeding. In the oven, they toast ever so slightly, adding a faint crunch that offsets the pastry’s tenderness. The result is childlike and deliberate: golden crescents freckled in color, sweet but not flat—a reminder that technique can hold whimsy and that rugelach are as good at sparking joy as they are at honoring tradition.
Sprinkles Rugelach
Makes 48 rugelach
Ingredients
12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese, softened1⅓ cups (160 grams) confectioners’ sugar2 teaspoons (12 grams) vanilla bean pasteRugelach Dough (recipe follows)1 large egg (50 grams)1 tablespoon (15 grams) waterAssorted holiday jimmies
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla bean paste until smooth and combined.
Divide Rugelach Dough into 4 portions (about 181 grams each). On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough into a 10-inch circle. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to use.) Spread one-fourth of cream cheese mixture (about ⅓ cup or 122 grams) onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border around edges. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut dough into 12 triangles. Starting from base of each triangle, roll up triangle toward point, and place 1½ inches apart on prepared pans. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and remaining cream cheese mixture.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water; brush onto rugelach. Top with sprinkles.
Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Rugelach Dough
Makes 48 rugelach
Ingredients
2¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar½ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softened1 (8-ounce) package (226 grams) cream cheese, cubed and softened
Instructions
In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and cream cheese; pulse until a dough forms around blade. Turn out dough onto a clean surface, and shape into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
Notes
PRO TIP: While a food processor is faster and more efficient, this dough can also be made in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
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