I think I was born to be a Texan. I love big hair, country music, and cowboys (and their boots). This inspired me to put a little spice—and local pecans—into my rugelach. This version uses yeast to make a croissant-rugelach hybrid.
Tex Mex Chocolate Rugelach
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 packet active dry yeast
- ½ cup 120 milliliters warm milk (110°F/43°C)
- ¼ cup 50 grams plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 – 4 cups 426 – 568 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 2 sticks or 1 cup 225 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons 85 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 8 ounces 230 grams semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup 200 grams granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup 22 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper or to taste, depending on how spicy you like it!
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅓ cup 80 milliliters water
- ⅔ cup 133 grams granulated sugar
Instructions
- Dough:
- In a large stand mixer bowl, whisk together yeast, milk, and 1 teaspoon sugar until the yeast dissolves. Let stand for 10 minutes until yeast gets foamy and puffs up. If your yeast does not get foamy, start over. Either your yeast is old, or the milk was too warm or too cool.
- Add remaining sugar and 3 cups (426 grams) flour and mix on medium speed with a dough hook until combined. Add in egg, butter, vanilla, and salt and mix for 5 to 7 minutes, until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Add more flour if the dough is sticking to the bowl.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place (on top of an oven set to 200°F/93°C works great) for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size. At this point, you can use the dough right away or refrigerate for up to 2 days. The dough will just get better!
- Filling:
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat, and stir in chocolate to melt; remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt, cocoa powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Assembly:
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough in 2 pieces, keeping the part you aren’t using covered. With a rolling pin on a clean surface, roll out the dough into a 6- x 21-inch (15- x 53-centimeter) rectangle. Measure about 3 inches (7 ½ centimeters) across the bottom of a long side, and cut a triangle from the base to the top. Repeat to make triangles across the whole rectangle, alternating the base from bottom to top and making about 14 triangles. Flatten each triangle with your hand as much as you can and spread a thin layer of chocolate mixture on each one. I use my fingers for this part. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Then, starting at the wide end, roll triangles into croissants, careful to keep the filling intact.
- Place the rugelach on the baking sheet, about 1 inch (2 ½ centimeters) apart, with the tip on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F/170°C with 2 racks in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
- Glaze:
- In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool slightly. Glaze rugelach with a pastry brush right when you take them out of the oven. They are best eaten hot, fresh out of the oven!
- Recipe posted with permission from Sweet Noshings.
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