NYC Inspired: Pizza Rugelach

Any time, any season. Hot or cold.

You know about my love for anything NYC and food - obviously. Of course I am thinking about the Big Apple 24/7 and I am always happy to influence someone and fall in love with it, too. Even if you haven't been there before, you can easily connect with this crazy city. 

I took the challenge to eat myself all the way through NYC (I guess many have), but I want to dig in really deep. I want to get to know THE NYC and not touristy SoHo and that's it. 

My last trip was highly inspired by all kinds of Chinese treats and Jewish comfort and soul food. I had my first rugelach and I can't even find the words about my last bites there... it was beyond. 

Pizza, dumplings, pastry, coffee creations - there is a lot to try, but as I mentioned, the rugelach experience was a special one. Breads Bakery, the place where I ate the "most famous and popular" rugelach, left a great impression and I am still dreaming of this Nutella stuffed masterpiece. It was magical.

Being in lockdowns forever and spending so much time at home, I was thinking of a lot of stories and content to entertain you, but I also wanted to entertain myself to put a smile on my face. 

Often, I thought about NYC. I thought about my favorite matcha, I dreamed of Japanese pastry, a fatty pizza slice, and I craved my beloved rugelach. 

Is it hard to make rugelach? Shall I give it a try?
And is it even interesting for you? 

I don't know, but I knew that this is a great challenge I wanted to win. 
Even better, I said to myself that Nutella or chocolate rugelach is way too easy to recreate - the filling is no challenge. I wanted something else.

This is my savory take on a rugelach. 
The pizza rugelach - the best timing to make this type of finger food for your Halloween party, a summer gathering outside, or whatever celebration is waiting for you! 

I know, very clever. 
Thank you. 

PIZZA RUGELACH 

(Rugelach recipe from Molly Yeh)
makes about 24 rugelach

YOU NEED 2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting + 1/4 Cup sugar + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1 Cup cold and cubed butter + 8 oz cream cheese, straight from the fridge + 2 large egg yolks + 4 tablespoons tomato paste + oregano or pizza seasoning + 1 /2 teaspoon sugar + a pinch of garlic + shredded mozzarella cheese + salami or pepperoni slices 

1. We will start with the pizza sauce, so it can cool and create a nice flavor while we prepare the rugelach dough. If you are very lazy, you can surely skip all the things here with buying a pizza sauce from the store, but this sauce here is actually a lazy version, too, which doesn't ask for much effort - I promise. In a bowl mix 4 tablespoons tomato paste with 1-2 tablespoons of water. If you want to have a thicker sauce, use more tomato paste, if you want it to be a bit runnier, add more water.
2. Once you have your desired consistency, season the tomato sauce with oregano or pizza seasoning (if you own such a spice blend) and add a pinch of garlic for a sexy kick. With 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, we are going to balance the tarteness from the tomato and you will be able to taste every herb and spice in the right manner. Happy with the results? Cover your bowl and put it aside in the fridge. Need more spices? Add some salt, more garlic, or even add a little more sugar. 
3. Now let's make some rugelach. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. add the cubed butter, distributing it all over the top of the dry ingredients, and dollop in the cream cheese. Start your mixer on low and stir until the mixture is very mealy - butter and cream cheese clumps can still be found, too. 
4. Don't stop mixing, add the egg yolks and watch the dough come together nicely. Btw, if you happen to have a food processor: this is the best tool for mixing the dough! I love using my Kitchenaid food processor for this and it is done in a minute! 
5. Now divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and cool them in the fridge.
6. What's very important when making rugelach is the cooling process. I actually make my rugelach dough a day ahead, so it can really cool and get firm. Cooling is so important, so please don't play cool yourself and skip this... When making rugelach on the same day, cool it at least for 1 1/2 hours. 
7. Get the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Since we are rolling the dough into tiny croissants in a little bit, we shouldn't have a super thick circle in front of us - so make sure each circle is about 0,5cm thick. 
8. Spread the pizza sauce on top and be creative sprinkling all your toppings across the rugelach pizza. Maybe a tip: don't put too much stuff in the middle of the dough since this will be the thinnest part of your rugelach and too much filling will destroy your art work. 
9. Once you are done with this step, it's time to cut little sections - just like a pizza. Cut the pizza circle in half downwards and then horizontally, too. Now you have four big triangles which will then be cut and divided into three same sized triangles. The pizza circle should consist now of 12 lookalike triangles (kinda - we are not striving for perfection). Roll each triangle from the longest side to the short tip and press it a bit on the dough. 10. Put the tiny croissants on a cutting board and refrigerate them for at least an hour. Yup, this is important, too. I'd say, the longer you cool it, the better... wrap it with some foil again! Time to repeat this with the second disc of dough. 11. We are getting closer to the finish line. Preheat the oven to 375°F and get out two baking sheets with some parchment paper. In front of you, you will find many sweet tiny rugelach which wait to be finally baked! Put them on your baking sheet and if you wish, you can surely spread a little egg wash on top. I like to sprinkle some extra sea salt on top to get a nice crunch or simply some extra cheese, because who doesn't like cheese?12. Bake until the rugelach will turn golden brown - this should take about 25 minutes. Also know that your rugelach slices might sweat a little bit during baking, since there is so much fat included. 13. When done, let the pizza rugelach cool on the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.14. You can surely offer them warm at your party if you wish, but don't worry about cold rugelach treats.15. If you happen to have leftovers... you can store them in an airtight container for a couple of days. 

Give savory rugelach a chance and experience this great cookie-ish treat which will make your mouth dance. A soft, buttery, not dry dough which balances wonderfully with seasoning and herbs. 
A great snack for the weekend, a clever addition for school or work lunch, or the star of your next party - you can decide!

*Boys and girls, write down the new vocabulary you have learned today: gewürfelt — cubed. 
GERMAN LESSON #45

This is an original OFF COLOR studio story from 2021.