Here’s to You, Mom

My mother loved rugelach. I didn’t. I’m not sure, but I think maybe the name scared me. I guess when you’re a kid, you gravitate towards familiar things, and at that time we were snacking on Ring Dings and sugary cupcakes that were packed in our lunch bags. I can remember her sitting down late day for a cup of tea and something sweet like a slice of pie, a cookie or rugelach. When you’re a kid, and sometimes even when you’re an adult, you make strong opinions without ever proving them. One day, years later, I actually tried it and instantly I was hooked. Well, guess what Mom? I was wrong. Rugelach is scrumptious. Just one more reminder that when you grow up and get older, you realize that Mom was right a lot!

I inherited my love for cooking and baking from my Mom, if you can inherit that. She must have gotten it from her mom because my grandma was an uninhibited adventurous cook even when TV dinners were the predicted future of home cooking. I have so many fond childhood memories involving food and family but didn’t develop an interest in baking and cooking until my mid-20’s. Sadly though, I never had the pleasure of sharing my love for cooking with my Mom or my Grandma.  I do have a few binders, many books, and some spiral bound cookbooks with recipes typed out from a typewriter that their gardening club had published a long time ago. I sentimentally browse through them every so often and am always amazed at how dated those recipes seem and how home cooking has evolved.  I never did find Mom’s recipe for rugelach. This one I acquired from a good friend that, like me, likes to challenge herself and try out different recipes. I think she might have adapted it from a recipe she found somewhere but, all I know is, it’s a keeper!

I hope you are not intimidated by the steps involved in this recipe. I wish you could take just one bite because that would convince you to try it. To make it easier, you could break it up by making the dough one day and baking them the next. If you need some additional inspiration, you can read some culinary biographies or watch my YouTube video.

Why not make a batch for your mom? I bet you she will love them. I think I might experiment and create a chocolate version this weekend. Here’s to you, Mom – Happy Mother’s Day!