Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Chill Time: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 20 servings
Yield: 4 to 5 dozen cookies
This Polish kołaczki cookie recipe is made with a cream cheese dough that bakes up buttery and flaky. Kołaczki can be round, square or diamond-shaped, and the dough can be flaky or yeast-risen, and the spelling varies widely.
Since they are a little time consuming to make, they are usually offered for holidays or special occasions, but they're not difficult, so most dedicated bakers make them year-round.
Fillings of choice include apricot, raspberry, prune, almond, poppy seed, and sweet cheese. Anything goes—strawberry, blueberry, apricot, even pineapple. Try to avoid going with jam as it is typically not thick enough. Look for products labeled cake and pastry filling in the baking aisle at the grocery store. Some stores even sell the filling on its own in their bakery departments around the holidays.
You will need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling and cutting, so plan accordingly. You can freeze unbaked filled kołaczki, then bake from frozen when you're ready. All you need to do is add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
«These colorful, tasty cookies will bring back childhood memories for anyone with Eastern European heritage. They are simple cookies to make requiring only four ingredients. There are steps in the process where you can stop, refrigerate overnight, and resume baking the next day, which is helpful for busy lives.» —Carrie Parente
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
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1 1/2 cups salted butter (room temperature)
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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Granulated sugar (for rolling out dough)
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Confectioners' sugar (for rolling out dough)
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8 to 10 ounces cake and pastry filling (raspberry, apricot, prune, etc.)
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1 large egg white
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1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until light and fluffy.
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Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix well.
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Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
Tip
- It is recommended that jarred or canned cake and pastry filling—like the Solo brand— be used for this recipe, as any fresh fruit filling will have a tendency to leak out of the cookie when baking.
How to Store Kolaczki
These cookies tend to become soggy after several days, so store them tightly covered without the confectioners' sugar. Dust with confectioners' sugar just prior to serving.
Can You Freeze Kolaczki?
Yes, you can freeze these cookies, which can be helpful for your holiday meal and cookie prep process.
- Make the dough and fill the cookies ahead of time. Freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Once they're completely frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container separated by sheets of parchment paper. Bake them from the frozen state.
- It's not recommended, however, to freeze kołaczki after the cookies have been baked. When defrosted, they become soggy and unpalatable.
- You can also freeze any leftover filling in a zip-close bag or another container, with little loss in flavor or consistency. Just defrost when you're ready to use. Pour off any accumulated moisture on the surface, stir, and it should be ready to go.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 20 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 354 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 18g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 11g | 56% |
| Cholesterol 57mg | 19% |
| Sodium 154mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 46g | 17% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 28g | |
| Protein 3g | |
| Vitamin C 1mg | 6% |
| Calcium 22mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 54mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
