Kolaczki

Kolaczki are rich and flaky, pastry-like cookies filled with jam. These are traditional Polish cookies, although styles, recipes and name spellings may vary across other regions. They are a great cookie for holiday baking and special events. All you need are 5 simple ingredients and a bit of time!

Let me kick off this post by saying, these cookies totally knocked me off my feet - they are THAT good!!

When I was first researching Kolaczki and recipes and the history of these cookies, I was a bit skeptical.

The thing that gave me most pause was that there is no sugar in the dough. That's right, no sugar (well, aside from using powdered sugar to roll out the dough and for dusting on top, more on that later).

I didn't think that ALL the sweetness could be left up to the little dab of jam filling.

But it is.

And it WORKS.

In my tiny house of two people, an entire batch of these cookies were gone in a flash.

Kolaczki (Polish Cream Cheese Cookies)

Recipes for kolaczki cookies range in interpretation. Some are made with yeast, cream cheese, sour cream and even melted ice cream (interesting, right??) Some are square shaped, contain no jam or use almond paste/other pastry fillings.

But this version seems to be consistent with Polish tradition (based on my research, please comment below - I'd love to hear if anyone knows more on it!)

A rich & flaky, pastry-like cookie made with butter and cream cheese is then filled with jam and gets folded into an elongated rhombus shape. I think the last time I used the word "rhombus" was in 2nd grade. I actually had to look that one up!

It's worth it though, because these cookies are absolutely divine!! The flavor of the cookie and pop of sweet jam come together beautifully. Add a dusting of powdered sugar and you have perfect kolaczki!!

Now, when I say "pastry", don't be alarmed. I'd argue there's more to making pie crust than the cookie dough for this recipe.

Due to the high fat content, this dough naturally forms puffed, flaky layers which creates a surprisingly light cookie. As with any dough, avoid mixing it and working it too much. But other than that, no special handling required!

How to make Kolaczki

I found the process of making kolaczki to be a lot of fun! There is some chill time involved and it takes some patience to roll the dough, cut the shapes and assemble them together. So please note, this isn't a quick cookie!

All the effort that goes into kolaczki truly makes it a labor of love. These are very special cookies!

You'll need the following:

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Cream cheese
• All purpose flour
• Powdered sugar (for rolling out the dough)
• Jam (or whatever you choose for filling)

Tools: 

• A rolling pin
• A silicone mat for rolling (optional, but helpful!)
• A pastry wheel with fluted edge OR 2 inch square cookie cutters
• A clear ruler
• A small offset spatula
• Hand mixer

Making The Cream Cheese Dough

This tender cream cheese dough is very easy to make.

The butter and cream cheese should be fully softened before you start. Add both to a large bowl and using a hand mixer, combine the two ingredients.

Next, add the flour.

With the mixer on the lowest speed setting, begin to incorporate the flour into the butter & cream cheese. Once the flour is 95% absorbed, stop using the mixer and finish by hand.

Place the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it tightly and stick it in the fridge. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. 

How To Form Kolaczki Cookies

Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, it's time to roll it out.

The dough has a luxurious feel and is easy to work with. Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar works very well to keep the dough from sticking to your surface & rolling pin; it does not dry it out vs. using more flour.

Roll the dough out to a ¼" thickness to start. I always use my notched rolling pin (aka, the best rolling pin) to get the exact thickness I need.

Once you reach ¼" inch, roll the dough just a bit more. I found ¼" to be a tad too thick to form the cookies properly, so that's why I roll it a little less. Avoid rolling the dough out too thin though!

Next, step is to cut the dough. The cookies need to be cut in 2x2 inch squares. You can achieve this by using a 2x2 square cookie cutter or you can cut them by hand.

Cutting The Cookies By Hand

1. Start by cutting off the edges of the dough so that all the sides are squared off and you have clean lines.
2. Using the ruler, measure out 2 inch increments on the bottom side of the dough.
3. Use a pastry wheel to slice the dough in straight lines.
4. Bring the ruler to the alternate side and measure in 2 inch increments going across, left to right.
5. Slice the dough crosswise to form squares.

After you remove the cookies from the surface, place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

About That Filling

There's quite a bit to mention about the filling actually. I did a lot of experimenting!

A common problem with using jam for the filling of these cookies is that the jam melts and spreads all over the cookie when it bakes.

There are two reasons why this happens. The cookies either get overfilled or the jam is too thin and runny to hold up to the heat of the oven.

The Type Of Filling You Use Matters

Using pastry filling is actually best and recommended. Pastry filling is already thickened and can withstand the heat in the oven.

If you don't have pastry filling on hand, the next best thing is fruit spread or whole fruit preserves. I tested this and preserves hold up a bit better than regular jam without having to thicken it yourself.

If all you have is standard jam (that's what I used), then you will need to cook it down for a few minutes in a pot to thicken it before adding to the unbaked cookies. This will help avoid a jammy mess and keep your cookies looking pretty & perfect!

I also tried cooking jam with corn starch to thicken it, but I did not prefer the texture. After baking with the cookies, the corn starch version was a bit gummy and leathery.

Whatever you do, Do NOT use regular jelly for this recipe. It will melt and burn in the oven!

Here are some recommended flavors:

• Raspberry
• Blackberry
• Apricot
• Cherry
• Orange
• Blueberry (untraditional for sure, but works REALLY well with the flavors of this cookie!)

If you want to broaden your horizons a bit more or if you don't want anything to do with fruity jams, you can use or make a nut filling, dried fruit filling or poppy seed filling.

I have yet to try these out but love the idea of making a fig, date or walnut kolaczki. Using dried apricots for an apricot filling would also be complimentary.

Use This Trick To Avoid Overfilling The Cookies

You can spoon a small dollop into the center of the cookie, but sometimes it's hard to control the amount. I found an easier method by adding the jam to a piping bag and piping it onto each cookie.

It was much easier to control the amount of filling which is important for this recipe. If you overfill the cookies the filling will leak out everywhere.

Sealing The Cookies

Probably the most crucial part of making kolaczki is sealing the ends together. This took a lot of trial and error because I had trouble with them unraveling while baking.

You must ensure you get a good seal on those corners before baking. If you don't, they will open up in the oven and lose their shape.

You can use either water, egg wash or straight up egg white to get stick the two opposite corners together. I used water and it worked just fine.

There's some finesse to bringing the edges together. What I do is, bring one of the corners to the center, grab the other side and slightly stretch it over the middle to the opposing edge of the cookie.

At that point, I press the dough down firmly and tuck it back into the side of the cookie.

Baking Tips

These cookies bake for about 12-14 minutes until very lightly golden brown on the edges.

Avoid overbaking as they can brown very quickly.

Once finished baking, allow the cookies to cool completely.

To serve, dust with confectioners sugar.

The jewel colors of the jam pop through the sugar and look beautiful plated.

These cookies have become a new favorite in my house, and I know you're going to love them too!

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