For this year's Rosh Hashana dinner at my friend Shira's house, I whipped up some delightful rugelach to bring to the party! When I say whipped up, I really mean it... I was in a mega rush all day, one of those days where you have everything slotted in time increments and if you mess up... dingdong. You're late for your dentist appointment.

This little exercise in rushed rugelach made me realize that rugelach is the cookie of the people - it's not hard to make, and the results are so delicious!  So I thought I'd share it with you if you need a last minute Canadian Thanksgiving sweet to take somewhere or add to your desert table!


Rugelach is really a snap to make, and rather fun too - you get to roll out that rich, creamcheese and butter-laden dough into a big circle, and throw on your toppings! Treat it like you would a pizza! Kids would be super into this, I think. (I am a bit of a kid, I admit.) Then you use a pizza roller and zip along the rolled out dough circle to make triangle wedges. Next, starting from the outisde, each triangle then gets rolled up like a little sausage roll, a precious bundle of jam, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, currants and chocolate chips. Those little bundles get laid out on parchment paper on baking sheets, a quick slather of egg wash on each one to give it that golden baked look, and into the oven it goes!

I followed my (imaginary) friend Martha's classic rugelach recipe, but instead of the apricot jelly I used raspberry jam, and instead of mini chocolate chips I used regular sized (which are still pretty mini in comparison to other things!)

Into the oven the rugelach went, for 25 minutes on 325 degrees, with the pans turned a few times to ensure even baking. And how evil was it that when the dinger went off and the rugelach came out, I set them to cool and blasted out the door to head to the dentist without me even getting to try one!

Later the rugelach got piled up onto a vintage silver platter, jazzed up with some raspberries and mint for colour, and carried inside to my friend Shira's place to join in a warm, cozy, candlelit, fun and delicious meal with friends, in celebration of the Jewish new year!

Shana Tova (and Happy Canadian Thanksgiving), everyone!

xo Lyndsay

After making the dough, divide into three balls, flatten them into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. The discs are then chilled for a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight.

Remove dough discs from the fridge, dust a nonstick surface with a bit of flour, then roll out the cold discs into a large circle (like a pizza!) Brush the top with your jam or jelly, then sprinkle in your toppings - ground walnut/sugar/cinnamon mixture, chocolate chips, currants - and lightly press into the dough. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into wedges!

Rollllll up your little triangle wedges, starting from the outside going in - lookit those cute little bundles! Brush each bundle with egg wash for a golden-baked finish.

Bake on parchment paper lined baking sheets at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, turning sheets halfway through baking time for even baking.

Jam one in your mouth! You know you want to!!

Or, eat it daintily on a vintage plate, with a little raspberry on the side... ha...

Full recipe found here.