Monday, December 15, 2025

Lemon-Poppy Seed Rugelach – Bake from Scratch





Floor poppy seeds prepare dinner right into a thick paste with milk, sugar, and lemon zest—a way borrowed from Central European baking. The milk curbs the poppy’s pure bitterness whereas citrus retains the filling vivid. This dough swaps cream cheese for shortening, which bakes up softer and extra yielding, much less tangy however fantastically tender, and retains the dough pareve. Rolling the filling evenly is essential; an excessive amount of and it bursts, too little and it disappears. A lemon sugar coating creates a pleasing crunch after baking.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Rugelach

Makes 24 rugelach

Filling:

  • ½ cup (70 grams) poppy seeds
  • cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
  • cup (80 grams) nondairy milk (see Observe)
  • 2 teaspoons (2 grams) lemon zest
  • teaspoons (8 grams) contemporary lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Dough:

  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (96 grams) all-vegetable shortening
  • 1 massive egg (50 grams), room temperature
  • cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Topping:

  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (2 grams) lemon zest
  • 1 massive egg (50 grams), room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water
  • For filling: In a spice grinder, course of poppy seeds till finely floor.

  • In a small saucepan, carry floor poppy seeds and all remaining filling substances to a boil over medium-high warmth, stirring often till sugar dissolves. Scale back warmth to medium-low; prepare dinner, stirring continually, till combination turns into thick, 3 to five minutes. Take away from warmth, and let cool fully earlier than utilizing. Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days.

  • For dough: Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and shortening at medium pace till easy and creamy, 2 to three minutes, stopping to scrape paddle and backside and sides of bowl. Add egg, beating till mixed and stopping to scrape backside and sides of bowl.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low pace, regularly add flour combination to sugar combination, beating till simply mixed and a dough kinds. Prove dough onto a clear floor, and form right into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for not less than half-hour or for as much as 3 days.

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • Divide dough in half (about 214 grams every). Place one portion of dough on a flippantly floured piece of parchment paper. (Preserve remaining dough refrigerated till prepared to make use of.) Calmly mud dough with flour, and high with one other piece of parchment paper. Roll dough right into a 13×6-inch rectangle, with one lengthy facet closest to you. Take away high parchment.

  • Unfold half of filling (about ¼ cup or 100 grams) onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border on one lengthy facet. Beginning with lengthy facet reverse border, fold 1½ inches of dough inward. Proceed to fold dough 1½ inches at a time, utilizing parchment to assist, till you might have a log. Trim ½ inch off every finish of log. Utilizing a pointy knife, reduce log crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Place 1½ inches aside on ready pans. Repeat process with remaining dough and remaining filling.

  • For topping: In a small bowl, whisk collectively sugar and lemon zest. In one other small bowl, whisk collectively egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Brush egg combination onto rugelach; sprinkle with lemon sugar.

  • Bake till edges are flippantly browned, about 20 minutes, rotating pans midway by baking. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Take away from pans, and let cool fully on wire racks. Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days.

Observe: Utilizing nondairy milk retains this recipe pareve, however you should utilize any milk you like.
PRO TIP: The dough could be very delicate and must be labored with shortly. Retaining it chilly is essential. If the dough will get too mushy after shaping, will probably be onerous to unfold the poppy seed filling with out pulling and tearing it. If this occurs, return the rolled-out dough to the fridge for a couple of minutes to agency up.





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