Schnecken are yeasted rolls, laced with cinnamon sugar and walnuts and baked until the edges turn sticky and caramelized. The name comes from the German word for snail, a nod to the coiled shape of the dough. At William Greenberg Desserts, they're part of a much older tradition of Eastern European Jewish baking, one built on yeasted dough, cinnamon, and nuts, passed down through home kitchens long before it ever showed up in a bakery case.
Where the tradition comes from
Recipes like Schnecken, rugelach, and butter horns all come from the same family of baking: yeasted or cream cheese dough, rolled around cinnamon sugar and chopped nuts, then baked until golden. They were the kind of thing a grandmother made on a weekend, not a special occasion, just a regular Sunday in the kitchen.
Carol's grandmother Betty
In her own cookbook, Carol Becker, owner of William Greenberg Desserts, writes about learning to bake in her grandmother Betty's kitchen in Washington Heights, rolling yeasted dough stuffed with walnut cinnamon sugar. That recipe, Cinnamon Sugar Butter Horns, is the one Carol credits with making her want to start baking in the first place. It's not the same recipe as the Schnecken sold at the bakery today, but it's the same tradition, and it's part of why this kind of baking has stayed on the menu since William Greenberg opened its doors in 1946.
The Schnecken at William Greenberg Desserts today
The bakery's Schnecken keeps that same spirit: yeasted dough, cinnamon, walnuts, baked until the edges caramelize. It's sold fresh in the shop and as a gift tin for anyone who wants to send a piece of that tradition to friends and family.
Frequently asked questions
What is Schnecken?
Schnecken are yeasted rolls filled with cinnamon sugar and walnuts, rolled into a coil and baked until the edges turn sticky and caramelized. The name comes from the German word for snail.
Where does the Schnecken tradition come from?
It comes from Eastern European Jewish home baking, the same tradition that produced rugelach and butter horns, built on yeasted dough, cinnamon, and nuts.
Does William Greenberg Desserts' Schnecken come from a family recipe?
The bakery's approach to this kind of baking traces back to owner Carol Becker's grandmother, who taught her to make a related recipe, Cinnamon Sugar Butter Horns, in her Washington Heights kitchen. It also pays a nod to Mr. Greenberg's original recipe.