Nut Kolacky Food

NUT KOLACKY

Steps:

• Mix walnuts and graham cracker squares in food processor until texture is fine crumbs.
• Add 1/4-1/2 cup sugar.
• Add egg whites (foamy, not stiff) to nut mixture.
• Add honey to mixture, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt, cut in butter until crumbly.
• Stir in yeast, eggs, and whipping cream.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth, about 2-3 minutes- place in a greased bowl, turn greased side up.
• Cover, refrigerate until firm- 6 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees, roll out dough, on sugared or floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares.
• Spoon 1 tsp.
• of nut filling in center of each square.
• Bring two opposite corners to center, pinch to seal.
• Wet fingertips with a little bit of water.
• Fold sealed tip to one side, pinch to seal.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

KOLACHKY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter until well blended. I like to use my hands, but you can also use a wooden spoon. Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. As the dough becomes stiff, turn it out onto the counter and knead in flour until it is no longer sticky. Continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Crush the walnuts to a fine consistency in a food processor. Stir in the egg and honey. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3x3 inch squares. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Use walnut for some and poppyseed for the rest. Roll the squares up and seal the edges. These can also be formed into triangles. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Brush with egg white.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.

NUT FILLING FOR KOLACKY COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the egg whites and add the ground walnuts and white sugar. Mix well. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling on each square.

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.

EASY KOLACKY

Steps:

• Place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl; beat with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar into the butter mixture. Slowly beat in the flour; mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• On a well floured board, roll out chilled dough to 1/8 inch. Use a pizza wheel to cut dough into 2 1/2 inch squares. Spoon approximately 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each square; do not overfill. Fold opposite corners of each square into the middle to encase dough, pinching dough together in center. Filling should peek out a little at each end. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake the kolacky in the preheated oven until set but not brown, about 12 minutes. Remove to racks to cool. Dust cooled kolacky with remaining powdered sugar.

QUICK KOLACKY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, butter or margarine, sugar, sour cream and eggs. Knead until dough is smooth.
• Sprinkle a work surface generously with confectioners' sugar. Roll dough out over the confectioners' sugar to 1/4 inch thick, adding more as needed. Cut out into 3 inch squares and fill with nut, poppyseed or prune filling.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

KOLACHI

Steps:

• DOUGH: Mix together the 1 tablespoon sugar, the yeast and the 1/2 cup water and allow to foam. Beat the margarine, remaining sugar and eggs for five minutes. If you have a Kitchenaid or similar mixer switch to the dough hook and add the flour and the foamy yeast mixture and continue kneading for five to eight minutes.
• Remove from mixer, form a nice ball and place in a greased bowl, covered with Saran wrap and allow to rise for thirty minutes. Divided the dough into four even balls, roll out to a 15x15 inch rectangle, flouring lightly the work surface if necessary.
• Fill and roll up jelly roll style crimping and sealing the ends to keep filling from oozing. Place seam side down on greased cookie sheet, place all four rolls on the same sheet. Rolls should be about 14 inches long and two to three inches in width before baking. Allow to raise for another 30 minutes. Right before baking prick with a fork five times down the center of the roll and brush with the egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on the pan.
• PREPARE FILLING BEFORE MAKING THE DOUGH.
• NUT FILLING:.
• Combine filling ingredients and mix to a spreadable consistency.
• POPPY SEED FILLING:.
• Melt the margarine and add the milk, heat till scalded. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the poppy seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat add the egg and flavorings and allow to cool well.
• You can also use prune or apricot filling. During the holidays most grocery stores carry this in their bakery departments. Be sure to use fresh poppy seed and not the kind found in the spice section of the grocery store.

HUNGARIAN KOLACHE (NUT ROLL)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Wait until it is activated before adding to dry ingredients.
• Mix together the flour sugar and salt.
• Stir in eggs, melted butter, sour cream and dissolved yeast.
• Mix well.
• Let dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a mixing bowl with some flour underneath to prevent dough from sticking.
• Divide into 4 egual parts.
• Roll out separately onto a floured board into a 14 x 12 rectangle.
• Spread with 1/4 of nut mixture and cover dough to within one inch from the edge.
• Begin to roll up jelly roll fashion from the 12 inch side.
• Seal edge.Tuck ends under Put seam side down on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
• Cover with clean cloth.
• Continue to roll and fill dough covering each with cloth.
• Let rise for one hour or until double in bulk.
• You can place 2 rolls on one cookie sheet.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
• Can be frozen.

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.