Grandpas Hungarian Kolacky Food

GRANDPA'S HUNGARIAN KOLACKY

Steps:

• Combine butter and cream cheese completely, add flour and mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 balls; wrap each in plastic wrap and chill 24 hours.
• Roll out each ball (on floured surface) to 1/8". (Be sure to keep them thin, as this keeps them "light!")
• Cut out silver-dollar sized cookies; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Drop 1/2 teaspoon jelly in center of each cookie and bake at 350* for 7-8 min. (Just until edges begin to brown.) I always bake the cookies flat; however, the edges may be pinched or rolled together as well!
• Lightly sift powdered sugar over cookies and serve.

KOLACKY

Steps:

• Mix softened cream cheese, softened butter, baking powder, and egg yolks with a pastry blender.
• Mix in sour cream and sift in flour.
• Add vanilla and knead the dough until your hands are clean (i.e. it all sticks together and is a uniform mixture).
• Roll into 1/4 cup balls and refrigerate overnight (~8 hrs).
• Prepare the filling (if store-bought, skip this step). Beat the egg white until it is foamy. Mix with crushed walnuts, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Store in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Roll dough flat, using flour to prevent sticking to surface and rolling pin. Only remove what dough from the refrigerator that you are currently rolling (leave the rest of the dough balls in the fridge to keep firm).
• Use a square-shaped cookie cutter to cut squares out of the dough. Place a little filling in the middle of the square. Then pinch 2 opposite corners together. Fold this over and pinch again. (This step is a bit of a personal preference, there are many different ways to shape and fill kolacky).
• Bake 9-12 minutes on a non-stick pan, or until light brown.

KOLACKY

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until mixed. The dough will be soft and sticky.
• 2. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a thick disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheets.
• 4. Dust a pastry cloth or board with flour or confectioners' sugar. Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on the pastry cloth. Keep the remaining dough disk refrigerated. Roll out the dough into a square or rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.
• 5. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each square. Pull 2 opposite corners of the square into the middle, and pinch the edges together to seal. Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• 6. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Dust the tops with sifted confectioners' sugar while still warm, then let cool completely.

SOPHIE'S KOLACKY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut butter into cream cheese.
• In a small bowl, sift dry ingredients together except for confectioners' sugar.
• Work dry ingredients into butter/cream cheese mixture until you have an even, mealy texture.
• Knead to form a stiff dough. If the dough gets too soft, refrigerate for about five minutes before continuing.
• Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut into about 3 inch diameter cookies. Keep re-rolling dough until you have used it all. Use your thumb to make a depression in each cookie. Place a 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the depression.
• Bake for about 20 minutes (until lightly golden). Let cool on a cookie rack. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container

GRANDMA OLGA'S KOLACKY

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, and stir in the yeast. Let stand until the yeast forms a creamy layer, about 5 minutes. In another bowl, mix the flour and margarine until well blended, and stir in the egg yolks, one at a time. Mix in the yeast mixture until incorporated, then stir in the sour cream to make a soft but not sticky dough. Cut the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces, cover with a cloth, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
• Working on a floured work surface, roll out one of the dough balls into a square about 6x8 inches, about 1/8-inch thick. Keep the other pieces of dough refrigerated. With a pastry cutter or pizza roller, cut the square into 12 smaller squares about 2 inches on a side. Place about 2 teaspoons of fruit filling in the middle of each square, and fold two opposite corners of dough together to meet in the center. Pinch the corners together to partially enclose the filling. Place the filled kolacky on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies begin to turn golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes before removing them to wire racks to finish cooling. Sprinkle the kolacky with confectioners' sugar.