rugelach

American  

[ruhg-uh-luhkh] / ˈrʌg ə ləx /

Sometimes rogelach rugalach

noun

Jewish Cooking.

• rugelach
  plural

1. a bite-size pastry made by rolling a triangle of dough around a filling of jam, nuts, raisins, etc.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rugelach
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rugelach

First recorded in 1940–45; from Yiddish rugelekh, rogelekh, plural of rugele, rogele

Explanation

Rugelach are baked pastries made with a dough containing cream cheese or sour cream. Resembling little croissants, most rugelach are filled with nuts, chocolate, or cinnamon sugar. These traditional Jewish treats originated in Poland, and the name rugelach derives from the Polish rogaliki, "little twists." The pastries are rolled and twisted into a crescent shape, using a deliciously rich dough that's wrapped around a sweet filling. Rugelach, long a favorite special occasion food in Jewish communities, is now so widely popular that it can be found in many bakeries, delis, coffee shops, and grocery stores.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rugelach

For crescents and rugelach: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2022

Could it be babka, a rugelach, or a date-smeared pistachio pizza?

From Washington Post ● Jun. 27, 2022

When I worked as a baker at Scratch, Phoebe Lawless's pie shop in North Carolina, one of the most popular pies ditched a flaky butter crust in favor of a tender rugelach one.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2021

That was the best place to get fresh bread and rugelach and sweets.

From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2018

Across the courtyard, Raizel stood next to her mother, studying a rugelach as though concerned it might crawl off her plate.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros