Maple Walnut Rugelach Recipe — Flaky Cinnamon Pastries

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Aka Maple Snails

Each winter my mother-in-law makes a generous batch of tiny maple snail cookies that I have loved for years. At holiday gatherings the family reaches for them by the handful, and I confess to hiding a few for later. This year we couldn’t travel home for the holidays, so I recreated the familiar flavors and memories in a recipe inspired by those beloved treats. The result is a flaky, maple-forward pastry that recalls those long, friendly battles over the last cookie on the plate.

What is Rugelach?

Rugelach is a tender, crescent-shaped cookie inspired by laminated pastry—think buttery, flaky layers rolled around a sweet, nutty filling. For these Maple Walnut Rugelach I combined maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and toasted walnuts for the filling, then finished the baked cookies with a creamy maple glaze. They’re a pleasing combination of crumbly, soft pastry and rich maple sweetness: perfect with a morning coffee, as an afternoon treat or a late-night nibble.

They aren’t identical to my mother-in-law’s maple snails, but these rugelach carry the same comforting flavors and warm memories I associate with the holidays.

Ingredients

scooping out Maple Walnut Rugelach dough for shaping — Transfer the dough onto a liberally floured surface to form a ball.

shaping Maple Walnut Rugelach dough ball — Form the sticky dough into a ball.

dividing rugelach dough into 4 equal parts — Divide the dough into 4 equal quarters.

Chill for 3 hours

Maple Walnut Rugelach dough disks wrapped and ready to chill — Wrap the Maple Walnut Rugelach dough individually and chill for at least 3 hours.

finely chopped walnuts — Finely chop the walnuts.

whisking Maple Walnut Rugelach filling — Whisk the filling together until fully mixed.

forming Maple Walnut Rugelach — Roll the rugelach dough disks into 9″ rounds and top with filling.

Shaping into snail rolls

rolling filled Rugelach dough into shape — Roll the rugelach dough wedges from the widest side to the tip to shape into a snail.

a single Maple Walnut Rugelach roll before baking — Roll ’em up.

Maple Walnut Rugelach rolls ready to bake — Roll ’em all up.

Maple Walnut Rugelach baked - overhead on parchment paper — Bake rugelach until they puff up and turn a nice golden tone.

Drizzle rugelach with maple glaze

glazing Maple Walnut Rugelach — Gently drizzle the glaze over the rugelach.

Maple Walnut Rugelach on a decorative plate - overhead — A little pile of Maple Walnut Rugelach is tasty as can be.

Maple Walnut Rugelach on a decorative plate - overhead, styled background — Maple Walnut Rugelach on a sweet little polka dot plate.

a handful of Maple Walnut Rugelach by Baking the Goods — I eat these Maple Walnut Rugelach by the handful! So yummy.

Recipe

Maple Walnut Rugelach

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Author: Baking The Goods
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

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Description

Maple Walnut Rugelach: flaky, buttery crescents wrapped around a nutty maple-cinnamon filling and finished with a creamy maple glaze.

Ingredients

Rugelach Dough

cream cheese (softened) – 8 ounces
unsalted butter at room temperature – 1 cup (2 sticks)
granulated sugar – ¼ cup
salt – ½ teaspoon
pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
all-purpose flour – 2 cups plus ¼ cup for rolling
brown sugar – ½ cup
granulated sugar (for filling) – ¼ cup
walnuts, lightly toasted – 2 cups
cinnamon – 2 teaspoons
maple syrup – ¼ cup

Maple Glaze

powdered sugar, sifted – 1 cup
maple syrup – 3 tablespoons
cream – 2 tablespoons

Instructions

Rugelach Dough

Cream the softened cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla, granulated sugar and salt; beat until incorporated and the mixture is light.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface, shape it into a tight ball, then flatten into a disk.
Cut the disk into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap each disk individually in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Chilling is essential for easy shaping.

Filling

Finely chop the toasted walnuts. In a bowl combine the walnuts, brown sugar, additional granulated sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup until evenly mixed.
Flour your work surface liberally and roll each chilled dough disk into an approximately 9-inch circle. Spread a heaping ½ cup of filling evenly on each round, taking it to the edges.
Use a rolling pin to press the filling gently into the dough so it adheres. Cut each round into 12 equal wedges (cut into quarters, then each quarter into thirds).
Starting at the wide edge of each wedge, roll toward the tip to form a snail-shaped rugelach. Tuck the point underneath to secure.
Place the formed cookies on a lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes before baking.

Assemble and Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Arrange the chilled rugelach on baking sheets, spacing about 9–10 per sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until they puff and turn golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheets.

Glaze

Whisk together sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup and cream in a small bowl until the glaze is smooth and ribbons off the whisk. Adjust thickness with more powdered sugar or a splash more maple syrup.
Drizzle the glaze over cooled rugelach and allow it to set.
Serve and enjoy—these are just begging to be eaten by the handful.

Cook Time: 20 minutes