Rugelach

Who can think about Carol without thinking about her cooking – particularly her baked goods. The very first recipe in the dessert section of my recipe book is “Carol Newman’s Rugelach” – the tastiest, most finger licking good rugelach ever! I was first introduced to this rugelach through SOSTY – Carol was the advisor and SOSTY sold rugelach using this recipe. Not having grown up in the “rugelach” tradition, I quickly begged Carol to teach me how to make these delectable treats. She invited Judy Brown and me to her house for a hands-on lesson and demo. Carol’s smooth, silky dough was shaped in four perfect circles – symmetrical, even thickness, etc. We each took a circle, threw some filling on top and proceeded to roll it out like a pizza, using a circle drawn on a paper for a guide. Carol’s “pizza” was completely round and even, Judy’s was somewhat round and mine was a misshapen blob of uneven thickness with a couple of cracks. It was like being a kid trying to color within the line. We then proceeded to cut the dough into 16 wedges. Each of Carol’s wedges was perfectly shaped – nice little triangles with the right amount of filling. Judy’s varied slightly, mine varied considerably but I did end up with 16 wedges (well, maybe 12…) Next we rolled each wedge into a scone; Carol’s scones all looked the same, Judy’s looked somewhat the same and mine cannot be described adequately. Into the oven they went and, as usual, regardless of the shape or size, were as delicious as ever.

I make this recipe all the time – my dough is still uneven, my wedges vary in size and I still can’t roll the dough within the lines of the circle. But these cookies are always delicious and it’s a rare moment when someone does not ask me where I got the recipe. To this I reply, “oh, this is Carol Newman’s Rugelach, she’s a terrific baker!”

Thank you Carol for being such a good friend and for sharing not only your recipes but also your wonderful family with us. We are delighted to be part of this special birthday and we wish you many more years of happiness and joy.

Happy Birthday!
Mary and Phil Kramer