Cookbooks

Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Rugelach

November  5, 2014

Hear ye, hear ye: Longtime Food52er MrsWheelbarrow has come out with a beautiful new cookbook! All week long, she will be sharing recipes from Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry and giving us new ways to use up the preserves in our cupboards. And we're giving away a copy each day -- so you can finally get over your fear of preserving.

Today: A rolled cookie perfect for using up whatever jam and nuts you have on hand. (Bonus: They freeze beautifully.)

Rugelach

Shop the Story

If I could only eat one cookie for the rest of my life, it would be rugelach -- there is so much to love about these rolled-up nuggets. If you’re anything like me and might have a hard time stopping at one, two, or three, you can store the unbaked cookies in an airtight container in the freezer, then remove just what you want to eat and bake (a toaster oven works fine). Make the cream cheese dough ahead; it needs to chill well, or it will be challenging under a rolling pin. Work quickly when rolling, slicing, and forming the cookies to keep the dough cold. Then freeze the unbaked rugelach for another few hours. They must be chilled before baking, or the very rich dough will lose its shape in the oven. 

More: If you're in a savory mood, spread your jam atop focaccia instead.

The filling recipe uses only preserves, nuts, and bread crumbs, so the flavor possibilities are endless. Omit the nuts if you wish, but I like them for the texture they bring to this sweet, silky, crunchy treat. Any preserves will work, but the best results come from smooth jam. If you want to use a jam that is loose and runny or has large chunks of fruit, blend, be sure to chop or crush the fruit and warm the jam to create a thicker, smoother texture, then cool it completely before using. 

Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Rugelach

Makes 16 cookies

For the dough:

4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces unsalted butter
4 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

1/4 cup toasted nuts 
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons soft, fresh bread crumbs
1 egg yolk, beaten
4 ounces any preserves 

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton

Every day this week, we're giving away a copy of Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry! To win today's copy, tell us in the comments: How do you use up leftover jam? We'll choose winners this Friday, November 7th. (U.S. entrants only, please!) 

Update: Nogaga, pamelalee, littleknitter, lizzaljoelle, and Matteo Cavelier are our winners! We hope you enjoy your copies of Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry.

Order now

A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).

Order now

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Chocolate Covered Marmalade
    Chocolate Covered Marmalade
  • Pernille
    Pernille
  • pamelalee
    pamelalee
  • PRST
    PRST
  • CathyCB
    CathyCB
Four cookbooks. 100s of recipes online. It all started with Food52

38 Comments

Chocolate C. November 1, 2015
Only if there is any leftover jam do I use in oatmeal, yogurt, grilled cheese, and last but not least a good ole' PBJ packed for lunch ( my lunch of course :)
 
Pernille June 16, 2015
Cut out 1/4 cup of the suger in your favourite muffin recipe and add 1/2 a cup of any leftover jam. Chocolate muffins with leftover blackberry jam is my favourite!
 
pamelalee November 7, 2014
Add a bit of berry jam to balsamic glaze, and then mix in salt and pepper and minced garlic for a delicious vinaigrette.
 
PRST November 7, 2014
Leftover jam, preferably homemade, stirred in plain yogurt, preferably homemade. A perfect way to start and end your day.
 
CathyCB November 6, 2014
Leftover jam goes next to leftover peanut butter between two slices of leftover bread. Yum!
 
Jane W. November 6, 2014
There is never leftover jam! Only lovely jammy jars to fill with oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream!
 
KosherInDetroit November 6, 2014
I love sweetening simple teas with leftover jam a la the Russian tradition
 
lizzaljoelle November 6, 2014
Is there such a thing as leftover jam? I stir it into oatmeal, put it in grilled cheese sandwiches, eat it on crackers...and constantly run out!
 
GretchenB November 6, 2014
My grandma's molasses cookie recipe calls for a thumbprint of jam, a nostalgic way to use that last bit in a jar.
 
Melisa A. November 6, 2014
Leftover jam? I figure it is fruit so I just eat it straight up with a spoon. : )
 
sarabclever November 6, 2014
I eat it on toast for breakfast the next day!
 
Casey M. November 6, 2014
I like folding blueberry jam into cottage cheese for breakfast!
 
Betsy November 6, 2014
I use jam to sweeten my salad dressing. My favorite is jalepeno raspberry sweet with a little kick.
 
Deborah S. November 6, 2014
Leeeeftver jam ens up on some REALLY good Jewish Rye (pref. frrom Davis Bakery in Cleveland, OH) with a lot of butter!
 
Candy November 6, 2014
What leftover jam, they practically lick the inside of the canning jar. LOL!
 
Teresa F. November 6, 2014
Leftover jam always ends up on a toasted English muffin that has melted butter in each wonderful crevice. I also like to melt everything together for a crumb coating or mixed with frosting to use as a fling on cake.
 
TheBostonian November 5, 2014
My favorite thing to use it for is just flavoring plain yogurt, but I also like to use it as a swirl in quick breads.
 
Dori November 5, 2014
I use leftover jam in grilled cheese sandwiches. All kinds of variations on this theme!
 
Dori November 6, 2014
Our favorite is thinly sliced roasted turkey breast with provolone on sourdough spread with lingonberry (or other berry) jam and then grilled. I sometimes add apple or pear slices and/or some thinly sliced red onion. Also do Brie with jam and add-ins on sourdough. The sweet-tart seems to be a good counterpoint to the salty-savory of the cheese.
 
Lisa November 5, 2014
i love making cookies with leftover jam. So good!
 
Slash November 5, 2014
I often use it on pizza... yup pizza! Particularly Fig, Date, Pear (with blue cheese of course) or Apricot jams but also Raspberry, etc. I caramelize onions and mushrooms to go on top, a soft cheese (usually fresh goat cheese) and a whole wheat pizza dough! When I make pizza I usually like to make several different kinds, one with meat, one spicy, one salty and this sweeter version.
 
Slash November 5, 2014
In my excitement I forgot to say thank you for the recipe! I love making rugelach it's definitely a comfort food for me!