Beet Rugelach

Growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut, I was what some people would call a picky eater. My diet consisted primarily of bagels with plain cream cheese, and the occasional grilled cheese or turkey sandwich.

I frowned on most of my Bubbe’s Eastern European dishes—her matzo ball soup, or her famous sweet lukshen kugel.

But every so often, I would enjoy what I called “princess soup,” a chilled bowl of hot pink liquid, naturally sweetened with bright red beets and sour cream. Yes, I loved her borscht as a child.

So, it’s not surprising that decades later, since I’m the author of this Jew-centric food blog, beets remain one of my favorite ingredients when I try to find new ways to use traditional foods.

I’ve tried incorporating beets into all sorts of unexpected recipes, including Israeli-inspired beet hummus, beet challah, beet latkes, pickled beets, and now beet rugelach. Immigrants brought rugelach to the United States, and its name is thought to come from the Yiddish word rugel, meaning royal. What could be more royal than rich pink beet rugelach?

See my story over at Tablet Magazine for the full scoop on beets and my recipe for Beet Rugelach!