Polish Kiffles Recipes

POLISH KIFFLES

Steps:

• First, prepare the dough. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat them together well with a hand mixer. Slowly add the flour in while you continue to beat the batter until it forms a soft, sticky dough. Bring the dough together into a ball in the bowl with clean hands, then cover it. Let it chill in the refrigerator for three hours. When the three hours are up, pre-heat the oven to 350 and line 2 sheet trays with silicone mats.
• Take the dough and divide it into quarters. Dust a clean work surface with a little flour and powdered sugar and roll the first quarter out until it is 1/8 inch thick. Use a 1 1/2 to 2 inch square cutter, depending on how big you want them, and cut out perfect little squares out of the rolled out dough. Be sure to cut them out as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Take the scraps and roll them out again to cut out as many more squares as possible. Lay the squares out on one of the sheet trays.
• Scoop 1/2 a teaspoon of the apricot filling into the center of the first square. Then bring two of the opposite corners together and pinch them together well. It will look like a tiny cannoli. Repeat that until all of the squares are filled and formed into the kiffles. Then repeat the process with the next quarter of dough, but use the cherry filling for the second tray. Brush all of the kiffles with the egg wash to help seal them and make them golden, then bake them for 10-12 minutes. They should be golden.
• When they are done, take them out and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks to finish cooling. While they are still warm, dust them with more powdered sugar. Repeat the whole process with the last half of the dough, making a tray of apricot and a tray of cherry. When they are all completely cooled, store them in sealed tins where they will keep for weeks in a cool place. Enjoy giving them out and eating them for the Holidays!

HUNGARIAN KIFFLES

Steps:

• Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale yellow and creamy. Gradually add 2 cups flour to butter mixture until the dough is too thick for the mixer. Stir remaining 2 cups flour into the butter mixture by hand and knead until dough falls off hands easily. Roll dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Stir walnuts and sugar together in a bowl. Pour milk into walnut mixture and stir to form a paste.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll to desired thickness. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place about 1 teaspoon walnut filling in the center of each square. Roll the dough from 1 corner to the other corner around the walnut filling and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

POLISH KOłACZKI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix well.
• Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Roll out dough to a 12 x 18-inch rectangle-1/4-inch thick-on a silicone mat or a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners' and granulated sugars (not flour), because the granulated sugar will act as ball bearings and help keep the dough from sticking.
• Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Brush a tiny bit of beaten egg white on one corner and press the opposite corner on it, pressing the dough together lightly to seal.
• Using a spatula, transfer the filled cookies to a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes (longer if baking from frozen) or until corners start to brown.
• Using a spatula, remove cookies from the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar. Serve and enjoy!

KIFLES (NUT ROLLS OR HORNS)

Steps:

• Combine nuts, sugar and vanilla.
• Fold in egg whites; set aside.
• Put flour into a large bowl.
• Add the yeast to the egg yolks in a small bowl and let soften.
• Cut butter into the flour until crumbly.
• Add egg yolks and yeast and sour cream.
• Mix well until it forms a smooth ball.
• Form into 10 balls and chill.
• Mix 1 cup granulated and 1 cup powdered sugar.
• On counter top, sprinkle a spoonful of sugar mixture, place 1 ball on the sugar, add more sugar on top, roll out ball Roll until dough is 1/8-inch thick, forming a circle.
• Cut the circle into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
• Fill the wide end of each wedge with 1 level teaspoon of filling.
• Roll from wide end to the point.
• Continue with all the balls.
• Place on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes.

EASY SOUR CREAM KIFLI

Steps:

• For dough:.
• Cut butter into flour.
• Mix egg yolks with sour cream and add to flour mix.
• Mix well.
• Divide dough into 6 or 8 parts.
• Flatten each into small patty shape.
• Wrap each patty in plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For filling:.
• Combine nuts, sugars, and lemon rind and set aside.
• Beat egg whites a little with a fork and set aside.
• To assemble:.
• Remove one patty at a time from fridge and roll out on a floured board to a 9" circle.
• Now smear some egg white over the circle of dough.
• Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of sugar/nut mixture over that.
• Cut into 12 pie-shaped wedges.
• Roll up, curve into crescent shape, dip tops in egg whites, then in nut mixture and arrange on prepared cookie sheets.
• Repeat with balance of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Makes 72, 96, or more, depending on how many times you divide the dough.