When I came across this old recipe card, I was certain that Phylis had misspelled the world “Rugelach” — it’s written as “Ragalach” on the card — but now I’m not so sure. I found recipes on the internet for something called “ragalach” that are almost identical to this one… but they’re almost identical to ones titled “rugelach” too. So the most likely scenario is that there are two spellings for the same thing. And that thing is Rugelach. Or Ragalach. Which I’ve certainly enjoyed a number of times, but never actually made. So when I came across this old recipe card, I was excited to try something new! I was also smitten with the fact that there was a name scribbled in the top right corner, Phylis Haugen.

This card came to me through the Recipe Tin Project, which is a project where I cook my way through an old recipe tin full of vintage recipes. But you might have already guessed that. It’s chock full of old recipe cards, most of which seem to be from the ’60s and ’70s, though some are older. I love food history, and the idea is to breathe new life into these recipes from the past and maybe learn a technique or two from them along the way. The recipes come from different people with different handwriting; some have sweet illustrations while others are on plain (often smudged and stained) index cards.

This recipe is written on a basic lined index card in blue ink. The card has yellowed a bit with age and the corners are softer than they once were, but the card is in good shape overall. The ingredients and directions are broken up into two chunks, since you make the dough first and chill it overnight. Or ‘overnite’ as the card states. As far as these old recipe cards go, this one was pretty easy to follow!

Rugelach means “little twist” in Yiddish and is a beloved treat that originated in Jewish communities in Poland. The dough is usually made up of cream cheese, but older versions sometimes use sour cream. Phylis calls for butter, cream cheese, salt, and flour. A very simple dough!

You’ll find fillings that include raisins or jam, but Phylis simply calls for chopped nuts, sugar, and cinnamon, though the amount of cinnamon is a little unclear. It says “1 Teas. cinnamon or tabls.” Which might mean you should increase it to a tablespoon? I felt like I should have.

I loved the delicate crunch of the dough on these and they were much easier to make than I was anticipating. They walk a fine line between being pastry and a cookie, but it’s a pastry that’s very easy to make at home. When I make them again, I will probably use brown sugar for the filling instead of white and chop the nuts much finer to create more of a paste for the filling. I’d also suggest brushing the dough with water lightly to help the filling stick. (It fell out everywhere when rolling the crescents.) Overall this was a great recipe card find!