This is a traditional Polish Christmas cookie having cream cheese and fruit filling. With a twisted dough the cookies present elegantly and stay soft and most for a long time when left out. Like most Polish cuisine, the process for making kolacke can be labor intensive but when you pair it family it makes for a rewarding afternoon in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Butter – softened
- 8 oz Cream cheese – softened
- 2 cups Flour
- 0.5 cups Powdered sugar
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 0.33 cups Jam – for filling
Cheese filling
- 16 oz Cream cheese or Cream Fraiche
- 4 oz Butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 0.5 tsp Vanilla
Process
- Mise en Place – Measure and prepare ingredients prior to starting.
- Cream butter, cheese, and sugar.
- Stir in flour and salt.
- Cover and chill for several hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Divide into thirds, sprinkle rolling surface with powdered sugar and roll out.
- Cut into an equal number of solid 2″ circles and 2″ circles with a 1″ hole.*
- Place each circle with a hole on top of each solid circle piece and dollop jam in the center hole.
- Place on ungreased pan and back for ~12mins.
- Watch closely, they burn easily and you want them soft.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*Alternately, you can cut the dough not 3″ x 3″ squares. Place the filling in the center, then take two diagonal corners and bring them together, pinching the tips over the filling. Once a sheet is full, put in fridge for an hour before baking.
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