Rugetella

by hungry rabbit


Hanukkah started at sun down on this past Wednesday. To no surprise,  the chatter among my Twitter community is all about the food that they will prepare for this festive holiday. Latkes, matzo ball soup and even sufganiya, jelly doughnut, are some of the hot topics of the week. Granted I lived in New York and are familiar with the Jewish culture; but I am certainly no expert in cooking the dishes. Most Jewish households have  their own favorite recipes, passed down for generations or cookbooks written by experts such as Joan Nathan.

Since this is also Cookie Week, I will stick to my goyim approach and do what I know best. Rugelach is one of my favorite cookies. Biting into a slightly crispy sugary exterior, you will encounter a tender buttery dough wrapped around either fruit or nut filling. No matter which flavors you choose, it always yields the sound of ecstasy.

Another ingredient that can produce the same reward would have to be Nutella, a hazelnut chocolate spread. This is also an ingredient that has a huge following in Twitterverse. Many have made delicious baked goods that highlight the seductive capability of Nutella. So I say, why not make Rugetella-rugelach with nutella filling.

Since Nutella is produced as a spread, it oozes out of a typical rolled up crescent shape rugelach, so I use a different technique. A sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts and Nutella spread sandwiched between two sheets of rugelach dough, baked in a baking pan until golden and slighty crispy. Unlike a bar cookie, Rugetella has a softer body, I cut them into small finger-size stripes to prevent them from crumbling.

Bake these Rugetella to celebrate Hanukkah, but since Nutella is a spread that everyone loves, why not archive this recipe and baked the Rugetella when ever you have the urge to hit that special spot.. Have a wonderful holiday season and bake something special for your friends and family.