If you’re a fan of mocha (coffee +chocolate) then these rugelach are sure to satisfy. These little cookies are for an adult palate. Not too sweet, almost pleasantly bitter from the intense coffee flavour.

I adore all coffee flavoured foods, especially coffee ice cream and coffee crisp chocolate bars! But I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was in my late 30’s. I always found the taste of plain coffee (even with milk and sugar) too intense. And then my friend Brigitte made me a big bowl filled with hot foamy steamed milk and just a bit of coffee. I was hooked. Over the years, the amount of coffee has increased and the milk has decreased, but I still think of her every morning when I’m frothing my milk.

These rugelach start with a flaky cream cheese dough, studded with instant coffee crystals, to really amp up the coffee flavour. Those brown streaks in the dough, in the photo above are Folgers Instant Coffee Crystals. It gets mixed into the dough, at the very end of the process, so that the dough stays prettily speckled.

Roll the dough into a circle and then cut it into wedges. Coat each triangle with a thin layer of mocha ganache and then sprinkle with hazelnut-chocolate streusel. Roll up into little crescents.

Brush with egg and bake. Enjoy with a latte. Any leftovers freeze perfectly.