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

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Etymology

Origin of rugelach

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

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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

Other elements of the installation that, well, felt real include an antique cash register, a traditional Greek diner coffee cup and the pickles in a jar atop the counter next to the rugelach.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

Instead, she proudly brought rugelach to her sons’ headquarters, and had an epitaph worthy of Dorothy Parker: “I don’t like the atmosphere or the crowd.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2022

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

From Washington Post ● Jun. 27, 2022

It’s always been a nexus of tradition and assimilation, old country and new, with rugelach for dessert.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2021

I mulled over his answer as I finished my rugelach.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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