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Rugelach, a polish cookie surrounded by powdered sugar and brown sugar with Christmas ramekins in the background

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rugelach Recipe

Melinda | Missouri Girl
This Polish cookie begins with a tender cream cheese dough and is paired with a sweetly spiced cinnamon brown sugar filling. Mix it up by changing out the filling with nutella, adding some nuts, jam...the possibilities are endless.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chill time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Polish
Servings 64 cookies

Ingredients
  

Cream Cheese Dough:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter cold and cubed
  • 8 oz cream cheese.
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 egg yolk

Filling:

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • teaspoon nutmeg.
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Powdered sugar for working surface and rolling pin

Instructions
 

Make the cream cheese dough:

  • Combine the flour and salt in a large food processor.
  • Pulse 3-4 times to combine.
  • Add the cold and cubed butter and cream cheese.
  • Pulse until the mixture is crumbly with large chunks of butter/cream cheese, about 12 pulses.
  • Add the egg yolk and vanilla.
  • Process until dough comes together on one side of the food processor.
  • Turn out onto a cutting board.
  • Form into one large ball and then cut into 4 equal pieces.
  • Form each individual piece into a ball, press down to form a disc, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
  • Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Make the filling:

  • In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients and stir well. Set aside.

Assemble the rugelach:

  • Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for about 3 minutes to soften slightly (you may want to remove each disc one at a time so the dough will remain cold).
  • Add one tablespoon of powdered sugar to a clean work surface and spread into a thin layer.
  • Lightly dust a rolling pin with powdered sugar.
  • Roll out one of the discs into a 12 inch circle using powdered sugar on the working surface and on the rolling pin to keep from sticking.
  • Spread about ¼ of the sugar mixture all over the top of the dough.
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut 16 slices (pizza style) for smaller cookies or 8 slices for larger cookies.
  • Roll up each slice into a crescent and place, seam side down, on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.
  • Repeat with the other 3 dough sections.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  
Keyword Christmas cookies, Christmas desserts, Holiday cookies, rugelach