Homemade Polish Kolaczki Food

KOLACZKI RECIPE (POLISH COOKIES)

Steps:

• Gather all your ingredients. While you can use any jam you like, raspberry and apricot work particularly well.
• Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, flour and cream cheese until it turns fluffy.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a big ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a thin, flat piece. Cut the piece into even-sized squares. Place a dollop of jam in the center of each square. Fold the sides of the squares in, pinching the corners together to secure the jam inside.
• Bake the cookies at 350°F for 15 minutes. Once the cookies completely cool, dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

KOLACZKI

Steps:

• Warm milk to just above room temperature. Dissolve the yeast in the milk, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is mealy. Stir in the egg yolks and milk mixture. Knead the dough together and then refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Dust a clean, dry surface with confectioners' sugar. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Carefully roll out your dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place a teaspoon of jam on the center of each circle, fold the dough over, and seal the edge with a fork.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not store in an airtight container or they will become soggy.

HOMEMADE POLISH KOLACZKI

Steps:

• : In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour, mixing until just combined.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten into a disk shape. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 2 hours, or overnight.
• : Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 equal parts. Working in batches, using a rolling pin, roll each dough out into a thin rectangle about 1/2- centimeter thick. Using a wheel pastry cutter, knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2- inch squares.
• Fill a small bowl with water and set aside.
• Spread 1/2 teaspoon of the preserves into the center of the dough squares. Using your fingers, wet two diagonal corners of the dough and fold over the top of each other, pinching the dough together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet 1 1/2- inches apart and bake for 12- 13 minutes until lightly golden.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. When the cookies are cooled, sprinkle them with powdered sugar. You can use as much or as little as you like.

POLISH KOłACZKI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix well.
• Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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!

KOLACHKY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl blend margarine and cream cheese together, by hand with a metal spoon. Slowly add flour until it is all incorporated and a dough is formed. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight, or for several hours (until hard to the touch).
• Flour the countertop. Take a handful of dough out of bowl returning the unused portion to the refrigerator (continue this process until all mixture is used). Roll handful of dough out into an approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Take a 2 by 3-inch diamond shaped cookie cutter, and cut as many diamonds as possible (size of kolachky should be two bites, so the cutter cannot be large). Take leftover dough and roll out again, cutting more diamonds. Repeat until all the dough is used.
• Place the diamond cut out onto the palm of hand. Put a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of fruit filling (apricot or strawberry or raspberry or prune flavors) into the center of the diamond shape.
• Dip your finger in a little bit of water, put on one side of diamond. Fold lengthwise and seal the tops of the kolachky together to create a 3-dimensional diamond shape. Place on cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to12 minutes.
• DO NOT USE Super heat cookie sheets or any of the new non-stick coated cookie sheets. They will bake too quickly and burn the bottoms of the kolachky before you realize it. YOU MUST USE ANY KIND OF CHEAP COOKIE SHEETS usually bought at a grocery store. Cover the cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Do not grease the foil.
• Look at your kolachky every few minutes, while baking, as ovens vary in heat distribution. The later batches may cook faster than the first ones. Check the BOTTOMS of the kolachkys. They are done when the BOTTOMS are soft golden brown. The tops may not look done, but they ARE! Remove from oven, wait 3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. When ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.