Polish Kolaczki Recipes

KOLACZKI RECIPE (POLISH COOKIES)

Steps:

• Gather all your ingredients. While you can use any jam you like, raspberry and apricot work particularly well.
• Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, flour and cream cheese until it turns fluffy.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a big ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a thin, flat piece. Cut the piece into even-sized squares. Place a dollop of jam in the center of each square. Fold the sides of the squares in, pinching the corners together to secure the jam inside.
• Bake the cookies at 350°F for 15 minutes. Once the cookies completely cool, dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

KOLACZKI

Steps:

• Warm milk to just above room temperature. Dissolve the yeast in the milk, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is mealy. Stir in the egg yolks and milk mixture. Knead the dough together and then refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Dust a clean, dry surface with confectioners' sugar. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Carefully roll out your dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place a teaspoon of jam on the center of each circle, fold the dough over, and seal the edge with a fork.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not store in an airtight container or they will become soggy.

KOLACHKE (GLAZED POLISH PASTRY)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sour cream and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside until slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in egg until smooth. Set aside.
• Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in sour-cream mixture until dough comes together.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes.
• Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Fill each thumbprint with 1 teaspoon preserves. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pans to rack to cool. Let cookies cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to rack. While cookies are still warm, drizzle with sugar glaze.

HOMEMADE POLISH KOLACZKI

Steps:

• : In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour, mixing until just combined.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten into a disk shape. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 2 hours, or overnight.
• : Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal parts. Working in batches, using a rolling pin, roll each dough out into a thin rectangle about 1/2- centimeter thick. Using a wheel pastry cutter, knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2- inch squares.
• Fill a small bowl with water and set aside.
• Spread 1/2 teaspoon of the preserves into the center of the dough squares. Using your fingers, wet two diagonal corners of the dough and fold over the top of each other, pinching the dough together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet 1 1/2- inches apart and bake for 12- 13 minutes until lightly golden.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. When the cookies are cooled, sprinkle them with powdered sugar. You can use as much or as little as you like.

KOLACZKI

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine the softened cream cheese and butter. Beat until thoroughly combined, light and fluffy.
• Add the flour into the creamed butter mixture 1 cup at a time until your dough is fully mixed. Wrap the dough in cling film and flatten slightly so that it chills quickly. Chill for an hour.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Dust your working surface with an equal combination of sugar and confectioners' sugar, then roll out the cream cheese dough until it is 1/4-inch in thickness. *I use a quarter portion of the dough at a time, meanwhile, it is important that the remaining dough is returned to the refrigerator and kept chilled.
• Cut the dough into 2-inch squares or rounds then place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of your pastry filling into the centerline of each cut square or round of the dough.
• Overlap the opposite corners or sides and brush the bottom corner with water or egg white to seal the dough. Pinch or press the dough together to seal securely.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookie bottoms just begin to show a light golden color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Once your cookies are completely cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar (or just before serving).

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!