Ah, Kolaczki—classic Polish/central European cookies! These are tender, buttery pastries usually filled with fruit preserves, cream cheese, or poppy seed filling, then lightly dusted with powdered sugar. They’re delicate, melt-in-your-mouth treats perfect for holidays or any special occasion.
Here’s a traditional recipe:
Kolaczki Cookies
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
For the filling:
- ½ cup fruit preserves or jam (apricot, raspberry, strawberry, or plum are traditional)
For dusting:
- Powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Make the dough:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla if using.
- Gradually add flour, mixing until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Cut and fill:
- Cut the dough into squares, about 2–3 inches each.
- Place a small spoonful of jam in the center of each square.
- Fold opposite corners over the filling to form a pinwheel or triangle.
- Bake:
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and dust:
- Let the cookies cool slightly, then dust generously with powdered sugar.
💡 Tips:
- Don’t overfill the cookies; a little jam goes a long way.
- Kolaczki can also be frozen before baking—just bake them directly from the freezer, adding a minute or two.
- For a slightly tangy variation, mix a little cream cheese into the jam before filling.
If you want, I can also give a super-easy shortcut version using store-bought puff pastry that tastes almost identical to traditional Kolaczki. It’s perfect if you want a quick batch without making dough from scratch.
Do you want me to share that version too?
