Poppy Seed–Chocolate Rugelach Pinwheels

This playful version of a beloved Jewish cookie is the creation of Zoë François, the expert baker and celebrity pastry chef. She makes them by rolling out tender cream cheese dough and spreading a sweet poppy seed filling over top. Sprinkled with grated bittersweet chocolate and then rolled up pinwheel-style, the cookies are easy to pull off but look like you put in much more effort. Rugelach are traditionally crescent-shaped and filled with poppy seeds, fruit preserves, or nuts. This version, a riff on the classic, includes a poppy seed filling with bittersweet chocolate. The cream cheese dough bakes into a tender cookie, while a coating of sparkling sugar gives them crunch and shine. 

When is rugelach traditionally served?

Rugelach has Eastern European origins and was made by Jewish bakers who rolled up buttery dough with jam, nuts, or poppy seeds. As communities emigrated from Europe to America, they adapted their traditional recipes to work with local ingredients. By the mid–20th century, cream cheese had replaced some if not all of the butter in the dough for American rugelach. Cream cheese enriches the dough with a subtle tang and creates the cookie’s signature tender, delicate, flaky texture. Traditionally served during Jewish holidays including Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, and Purim, rugelach are also enjoyed all year round for family celebrations — and simply because they’re delicious.

What are some additional ways to decorate these cookies?

Rolling the dough logs in colorful sanding sugar before slicing them into cookies is the easiest way to give these rugelach a festive finish. Use sanding sugar, which is slightly coarser than granulated sugar, or sparkling sugar, which has even larger crystals and is a little more glittery and crunchy. Choose any color or color combination you like. If you prefer to skip the sugar, you can drizzle the cooled cookies with melted chocolate (or dip one half of each cookie) for a simple embellishment. Use white chocolate for a contrasting look, milk chocolate for a mellow sweetness, or dark chocolate to further highlight the bittersweet notes of the filling. Let the cookies rest on parchment paper until the chocolate sets. For a more elegant touch, decorate the baked cookies with edible gold leaf or edible glitter for a subtle gilded effect.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• Don’t skip chilling the dough log before slicing — this step keeps the filling distinct and preserves the pinwheel shape. 
• You can make the logs a little bit in advance. Refrigerate up to overnight, but don’t go much longer than that: The filling will spread too much.

This recipe was developed by Zoë François; the text was written by Cheryl Slocum.