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Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

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Kolaczki (Polish filled cookies)

June 16, 2017 by polishhousewife 132 Comments

Recipes know no borders, Kolaczki (Polish filled cookies) are popular in Poland as well as the Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Denmark, and probably more places.

As you might expect there are multiple spellings for this pastry, but Kolaczki seems the most Polish to me.

 

Normally, I’d expect to see these on a Christmas cookie tray, but I made them recently, as things are starting to warm up in Tucson because I needed a breakfast pastry to share with new friends.

Earlier this year, Ed and I heard about a small group of people who gather at one of the bars in downtown Tucson early on Sunday mornings to watch Premier League football (soccer) from the UK.

The time difference does make for early matches in our time zone. Let’s just say that at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning, there is no traffic; we have no trouble finding a parking place.

Polish filled cookies, kolaczki, on a cooling rack

We found the most wonderful community. Small but tightly knit and very inviting. European football doesn’t have a huge following stateside, but these die-hard fans support our local, semi-pro team, and on Sunday mornings, they get together to watch the big guys.

 

People will ask who we’re rooting for, but we don’t really have a favorite in the Premier League. It’s just fun to watch a good match, the more scoring the better.

Kolaczki - Polish Cookies in aluminum pan in sports bar

As I said, the customers and the bartender are very hospitable, every Sunday, someone stops to pick up donuts or cookies on their way. The box gets passed around the bar, and if you’re still hungry, about 9:00, they’ll serve breakfast to go with your coffee.

After a few weeks, Ed suggested that I bring something the following week. Thanks to all of you who chimed in on the PH facebook page when I asked about your favorite flavor.

In the end, I made apricot, probably the most popular response and cranberry because I had a big Costco sized bag in the pantry. A couple of recipes, in particular, inspired this baking: Allrecipes and The Spruce.

I cooked the dried fruit in a little water with a squirt of lemon juice and just a smidge of sugar until if was soft, then I blitzed it with an immersion blender. You could also use a canned filling or jam if you’re pressed for time.

The hard part was getting them to stay folded over while baking. I’m a pretty experienced baker and I was surprised by how stubbornly many of the Kolaczki opened up like a blooming flower while baking. It was a pity, but we had to eat those. I couldn’t take imperfect baked goods!

I’m sure I’ll be making these again.

Smacznego!

Lois

The Amazon links below are affiliate links, meaning Amazon sends me a few cents if you make a purchase

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Kolaczki - Polish Cookies

Kolaczki (Polish filled cookies)

★★★★★ 5 from 19 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: 4 dozen 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
Print Recipe
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Description

A rich pastry with fruit fillings


Ingredients

Scale

For the pastry:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

  • 3/4 cup dried apricots (or other dried fruit)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Cream the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy
  2. Stir in flour and salt
  3. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour
  4. Preheat oven to 350
  5. Roll out the dough by first dusting the surface (mat or countertop) with granular sugar
  6. Roll to 1/4 inch and cut into 2-inch squares. I used a fluted pastry cutter to get the zig-zap along the edge of the cookies.
  7. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square
  8. Fold over opposite corners and seal well
  9. Bake for 15 minutes or until corners just begin to brown
  10. Cool on a rack and dust with powdered sugar

For filling:

  1. Add apricots and water to a saucepan
  2. Add 2 tablespoons sugar
  3. Simmer until apricots are tender, about 15 minutes
  4. Mash or puree with immersion blender

Did you make this recipe?

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Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Polish, Polish Desserts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laurel

    June 16, 2017 at 10:47 am

    Oh drool! I grew up on these and they are truly irresistible. It’s sad though, that when you purchase them at a Polish store, they are truly awful. When you make them at home they disappear very quickly. Sinfully good! I always use the Solo (canned) apricot filling.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Store bought falls short with so many things!

      Reply
      • Kimberly Overby

        December 16, 2018 at 5:19 pm

        I made them with cherry and apricot filling
        They were a hit with friends and family

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    • Tori Stark

      December 25, 2017 at 6:39 am

      Same. My family makes these every year and we only use solo apricot and plum. These are my absolute favorite thing and since my dad passed recently, this year will be in honor of him. I’m going to teach my best friend Danielle how like my father taught me.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        December 25, 2017 at 7:40 pm

        I’m sorry for your loss, Tori. Continuing the Kolaczki tradition is a wonderful way to honor his memory.

        Reply
      • Teri

        October 23, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        My mom filled it with walnuts, when she passed, I tried making them, and I too had a problem keeping them closed, what was your father’s trick to keep them from blooming…thanks

        Reply
        • Rosemary

          October 25, 2020 at 7:57 am

          My mom made with the walnuts as well! To keep them closed I pinch the ends together and then I baste with egg whites.

          Reply
    • Linda

      November 17, 2018 at 6:53 pm

      Is this the recipe that you use. As you said I’ve had bad ones. And have been disappointed with a recipe I’ve tried.

      Reply
      • Laurel

        November 18, 2018 at 8:57 am

        You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Absolutely delicious.

        Reply
        • Kathleen Davis

          March 25, 2019 at 4:29 pm

          My mom made the crust the same but she used apricot jam and chopped walnuts mixed together.

          ★★★★★

          Reply
    • Steven Chlebowy

      December 15, 2019 at 1:20 pm

      If you use solo do you still add sugar water lemon juice cook it down?

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        December 16, 2019 at 2:40 pm

        I just the solo as is, straight out of the can.

        Reply
      • Rosemary

        October 25, 2020 at 8:00 am

        Do not add anything to Solo and do not use a jam, it will be too loose and will melt out of the cookie.

        Reply
    • Susan

      October 27, 2020 at 1:26 am

      My mom is German and grew up eating these. So of course as an adult she began making them herself. After making them with a simple dough that had little flavor,she came up with her own recipe of basically flour,butter,vanilla ice cream,and I think something else. Vanilla I e cream makes a huge difference. We use the Solo fillings and find poppyseed, prune,apricot,cherry,and blueberry to be huge hits. For the diabetics in my family we simply use sugar free jelly for the filling and its great!

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        October 27, 2020 at 7:00 pm

        Great ideas, thanks for sharing, Susan!

        Reply
    • Tina

      December 17, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      Did you make the cranberry ones with dried or fresh/frozen cranberries, Did you make the cranberry with the lemon juice and sugar too?? Asking cause I have lots of frozen cranberries
      Going to try this they sound really good,
      I have some prunes I could use too. Thanks, I enjoy your recipes and articles

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        December 18, 2020 at 8:27 am

        Hi Laurel, I used dried cranberries with lemon juice and sugar, but I’m sure you could use fresh ones too. Thanks!

        Reply
  2. Elizabeth Beaudoin

    June 16, 2017 at 11:23 am

    I make powidla every autumn and use them as filling. Thank you for your stories, Lois….I enjoy reading them before I get into the recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks Elizabeth!

      Reply
  3. Vicki

    June 16, 2017 at 9:46 pm

    I make these every Christmas, with Solo poppyseed and almond. Solo has the dough recipe on the cans My grandma made these and also the rolls. I can’t find a good and successful recipe for the nut rolls.

    Reply
  4. Mary Ellen

    June 18, 2017 at 5:20 am

    Love these!!! My grandma and her sister would come to visit us every summer for 2 weeks, and this is one of the things we would make – lots of them, except instead of butter, we used lard… We used the Solo filling, too. Thanks for the directions on using dried apricots!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 21, 2017 at 7:53 pm

      My grandmother used to use lard for baking too!

      Reply
  5. David

    June 24, 2017 at 6:34 am

    I love fruit-filled cookies like this, Lois! Can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 24, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Super, I hope you enjoy them, David!

      Reply
  6. Namaste India

    July 20, 2017 at 12:13 am

    Very Nice.. i read it… its awesome.. love these..!!

    Reply
  7. colleen

    December 11, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    Crazy question but when you say spread sugar out before rolling. Do you mean regular or confectioners?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 11, 2017 at 7:57 pm

      Not crazy at all, Colleen. I dusted the rolling surface with regular sugar rather than flour.

      Reply
    • Rosalee

      December 13, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      Can we use preservatives

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        December 13, 2017 at 11:36 pm

        I think it would be fine.

        Reply
    • Liz

      December 20, 2017 at 4:50 pm

      I use half powdered sugar and half granulated sugar. The granulated sugar works like ball bearings to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling surface.

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        December 20, 2017 at 8:28 pm

        Thanks for the tip!

        Reply
        • Marie

          December 15, 2019 at 8:29 am

          Do you use all purpose flour?

          Reply
          • polishhousewife

            December 16, 2019 at 2:40 pm

            Yes.

  8. polishhousewife

    December 13, 2017 at 11:36 pm

    I think it’s about 4 dozen

    Reply
  9. Dawn Landl

    December 18, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    My son has a mill allergy. Is there a dough without dairy?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 18, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Most of them seem to have cream cheese or sour cream. You might try used a vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream.

      Reply
  10. Annette

    December 21, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    I love these cookies and just made some. Some of mine don’t stay closed, any tips?
    Thank you and Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 21, 2017 at 7:29 pm

      I just got this tip from Darlene today:

      Good Day! I just finished baking some cookies- out family favorite- and I wanted to post about them so I wanted to ensure that I was spelling the name correctly, so I asked Siri. Within the list of results was your recipe for kolaczki’s! ahHA! So that’s how it is correctly spelled! I read your article and saw that you had difficulty keeping the folded edges closed while baking so here’s the key to success: After filling, using a small bowl of ice water, lightly moisten a fingertip and touch one corner of your cookie. Take that corner, lift it to the center, lift the opposite corner and pinch the wet spot onto the opposite corner to meld them together. Finally, roll it down or fold it over. Sealed. They will not open if you have sealed it by blending both sides of the cookie together.

      Reply
      • Annette

        January 13, 2018 at 1:51 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
      • Louise

        October 10, 2019 at 5:44 pm

        we have used lekvar butter – prune butter – and different flavored jams but the lekvar is my favorite. Also, to keep them closed, we used a little egg wash and pinch the corners together. some stick and some don’t. Enjoy!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • polishhousewife

          October 14, 2019 at 5:21 pm

          Thanks, Louise!

          Reply
        • Eunice M Palumbo

          June 10, 2020 at 5:38 am

          My Grandmother alway used lekvar and walnuts ground they are still my favorites she was from Hungry God do I miss her homemade noodles and all those traditional meals used many main dishes with salt pork, real salt pork not like they sell now with bacon not the same.

          Reply
      • Chris E.

        December 22, 2019 at 8:25 am

        Thank you for the sealing tip My first batch all opened. I will try it on next batch.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  11. Tori Stark

    December 25, 2017 at 6:41 am

    Same. My family makes these every year and these are my absolute favorite. We only use solo filling and apricot and Plum only. Since my Dad recently passed, in honor of him I’m going to teach my best friend how to make these like he taught me.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Laurel

    March 27, 2018 at 6:48 am

    In Poland do they say kolaczki or kołaczki? My family says kolaczki but I’ve heard the other pronunciation too. Thanks!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      March 27, 2018 at 11:50 am

      I see it most often as kołaczki on Polish websites.

      Reply
      • Sylvia Koss

        December 15, 2018 at 6:52 am

        It’s KOŁACZKI, since in English there is no “Ł” it sounds like kolaczki. Born and raised Polak here . Have not done them in long time, guess it’s time to make it again. Wesołych Świat

        Reply
        • Nancy Gabrielson

          December 15, 2018 at 6:18 pm

          Can you write out how you pronounce it phonetically?

          Reply
          • polishhousewife

            December 19, 2018 at 9:50 am

            Hi Nancy, I’m not good at phonics, but something like: ko-LACH-key

    • carol Couturier

      February 17, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      I’ve been making these since the 60’s. Mu grandma was Lithuanian , I learned from her.
      Se was the baker in the family !

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  13. Mary

    June 24, 2018 at 7:54 pm

    This is my first attempt to make these. I’m having a terrible time teying to roll the pastry. I used granulated and powdered sugar but it stickes like glue to my rolling pin. Chilled the dough for several hours. Too hard to roll at first then it suddenly gets too soft too work. Do i need more flour? My first few expanded alot when baked- way too big.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 25, 2018 at 7:41 am

      I thought it was s difficult dough too, Mary. With what you’re describing, I would go with your thought of adding a little more flour.

      Reply
    • Jolee

      December 22, 2020 at 4:17 pm

      I rolled them out on a silicone baking mat. Works great!

      Reply
  14. Elizabeth Johnson

    October 16, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    Hi there, I have made these for years. My Irish mother taught me! Made them from her Polish mother-in-laws recip, my Busha!
    It is really a technique cookie over an ingredient one. My ingredients are simple, 2-2-2. Cups of flour, sticks of softened butter, and squares of cream cheese, softened. Cream cheese came in 4 oz. squares back then.
    I think it is helpful to chill the dough for hours, overnight, days if you want to have it ready to make before a party. Then when you roll it out, I use more flour, it is important to roll it when it is just soft enough To Stick. Meaning, dont let it get too soft so that you roll in too much flour and then it won’t stay wrapped. Practice helps. Enjoy!

    .

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      October 16, 2018 at 9:05 pm

      Good pointers, thanks, Elizabeth!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        December 19, 2020 at 5:50 pm

        Love these cookies. My Mother-in laws made them. I am going try.

        Reply
  15. Jayne

    November 3, 2018 at 6:54 pm

    My grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch/German, she called these Kiffels, and used flour mixes with granulated sugar on the board and rolling pin, and we used walnuts, apricot and lekvar – prune butter for gillings. A tradition to make these every holiday.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm

      What a lovely tradition!

      Reply
  16. Nicole Webb

    November 15, 2018 at 9:50 am

    My family always made them with a crushed nut/cinnamon/sugar filling held together with just a little milk. Egg wash right before they bake. They always stayed rolled nicely. Old family recipe.

    Reply
  17. Lynne Cotton

    November 15, 2018 at 9:58 am

    This cookie sounds fabulous but have never heard of it. My parents were both Polish so I’m surprised they never made them or spoke if them. I will try to add these to my repertoire of Christmas cookies. Kruschiki have always been on the Christmas list.

    Reply
  18. Alia

    November 15, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    Where in Tucson do you all meet? I get to the cottage when we can and make stuff as I can.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 15, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      It’s a group of soccer fans watching the English Premier League. It’s fun! I just made these so I could take something and blog about it.

      https://playgroundtucson.com/event/epl-soccer-viewing-2/

      Reply
  19. Tracy B

    November 25, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    I am so excited to find this page and this recipe! My Grandma makes apricot and walnut kolaczki but also a walnut/brown sugar filling one as well. I’m so excited to try this out!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 25, 2018 at 6:31 pm

      I’m delighted that we’ve connected, Tracy. Happy baking!

      Reply
  20. Laura Delgado

    November 28, 2018 at 10:06 am

    I am Hispanic and I love these. I chill the dough and roll out between sheets of wax paper. No problems with
    dough sticking to the rolling pin.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 28, 2018 at 3:58 pm

      Good to know; thanks for the tip, Laura!

      Reply
  21. Michael K Alexa

    November 30, 2018 at 5:16 am

    Had a hard time keeping fold together. will try and use more water on the edges when I fold them next time. Filled with a cream cheese filling. Taste was very good.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 30, 2018 at 6:40 am

      I had a hard time keeping them folded together too. One reader has suggested a bit of water on the corners and then pinching the points tightly before folding.

      Reply
  22. Eileen Weglicki

    December 12, 2018 at 6:21 am

    This is the same recipe my polish mom used. Homemade apricot filling is the best . She also rolled out in powdered sugar and sprinkled more powdered sugar before filling them and after they are baked. I found the easiest way to roll out the dough is between 2 pieces of parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar. Then to remove the paper easily, lay it in the freezer for a couple of minutes and it peels off nicely. My problem was getting the thickness of the dough right. Alas she is no longer here to help with that.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 12, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      Thanks for sharing, Eileen! <3

      Reply
  23. Carol

    December 14, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    Hi, I love the cheese filling but how do I make that or what can I use? I have to agree with buying these in a bakery, I just went to the bakery today and they were aweful, stale!! Yuk.(shouldn’t a bakery cookie be fresh?) I swore never again will i buy cookies like these from a bakery so I will be making them from now on.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 16, 2018 at 11:56 pm

      Hi Carol, I havene’t made them with a cheese filling, but this is a recipe I would recommend. https://www.thespruceeats.com/sweet-cheese-strudel-filling-recipe-p2-1137457

      Reply
    • Helen

      January 3, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      For a cream cheese Filling the Kołaczki with cheese I use 8 oz cream cheese 1/4 c sugar and 1 egg yolk. mix it together well and fill the cookies .

      Reply
  24. GSK

    December 15, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    I ate a few of these at a cookie swap. They were addictive! Please tell me the correct size for the squares. Another suggestion for keeping them sealed would be an egg mixture. A little dab on one corner should do it.

    Reply
    • John Danovich

      December 24, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      At our church we cut a 2.5-2.75 inch square. That allows you to tuck the edge under the pastry eliminating the need to use water or egg “glue.” We also roll the dough between parchment paper (no added flour or sugar) to 1/4 inch and refrigerate the sheets of dough for a half hour or more. Take one sheet out of the fridge at a time. Gently peel one side. Flip it over with the parchment still on then gently peel the 2nd side. Cut squares and fill diagonally. Fold one corner over the filling with the dough tightly against the filling. Roll the already folded side over the second corner. Tuck the second corner under the pastry and place on a parchment covered sheet. They look differently- longer and slightly taller. Our dough recipe is 1 pound each of cream cheese and butter blended well then add 660 grams of flour. This recipe is baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. We make more than 1,000 kolachy (another spelling) every month and sell them at farmers markets.

      Reply
  25. Liz

    December 15, 2018 at 7:15 pm

    After chilling roll out between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper. So easy to roll out.

    Reply
  26. Nancy D

    December 20, 2018 at 8:52 am

    how are these best stored

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 20, 2018 at 1:42 pm

      Best to store tightly covered and add powdered sugar at the last minute.

      Reply
  27. Anne Gardner

    December 23, 2018 at 11:14 am

    Amazingly easy to make and my Polish spouse raved about how they tasted like childhood!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 23, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      Thanks great news, Anne! ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
  28. Ann

    December 24, 2018 at 4:43 am

    Hi. I’m looking for a recipe my family always made for Christmas. It is a braided bread not sure of the spelling in polish but phonetically it would be plachunka. Can you help?

    Reply
  29. Julie Mills

    December 24, 2018 at 7:59 am

    My family has made a cookie very similar to these filling with egg white whipped stiff and laced with nuts, also have used solo almond filling and prune filling. Mom would make these between Thanksgiving and Christmas and store them in a large roasting pan on the stairs to the attic, or at least she did until my brother and I found them and would raid the roasting pan. I had hoped to make the this year but life as gotten in the way where I’ve run out of time. We lived in ?Detroit MI until the early 60’s when we moved to Tucson AZ because of my father’s health. We have always called the cookies European Cookies or Roski.

    Reply
  30. Robert J. Golubski

    January 18, 2019 at 10:49 am

    Try using a 1/2 cup of sour cream instead of the cheese – really good and what my great gram used 150 years ago.

    Reply
  31. Gail Mpintos

    January 19, 2019 at 4:14 am

    I am very confused. I grew up in a community with a large eastern European immigrant population. Have had lots of kolachi in my life. Made kolachi and still admire the churches that still gather the old Babba’s to make them for the yearly church fundraiser. Most were nut filled. Llevar and sometimes apricot. They never look like a pastry. Your cookies look like Rugulas, which I believe is a German cookie. They are good cookies, but do not compare to the Kolachi of our ethnic neighborhoods.

    Reply
    • Kathy

      April 7, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      Are yours rolled in a circle and then cut triangles, fill with nut or apricot and roll them like a crescent? We call them roski/rhodske, not sure on spelling. Grandmothers from Czechoslovakia. Also made nut rolls or poppyseed rolls.

      Reply
  32. Kate Herring

    January 20, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    My daughter and I just made these tonight for a party that she has scheduled for Wednesday in school. How would you recommend I store these? (I haven’t dusted any powder sugar on them yet.) I wondered if they’ll get soggy? By the way, they turned out AMAZING! My 8 year old said they’re better than chocolate chip cookies!!! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      January 21, 2019 at 7:31 am

      Hi Kate, I’m so happy to hear that your family loved the kolaczki. Better than chocolate chip is high praise indeed! I would store the cool cookies, tightly covered, and sprinkle with powdered sugar when you’re ready to send them to school.

      Reply
  33. Diane Szlucha

    January 29, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    I have a kolachki recipe from a Russian lady that truly isn’t as easy as this but my family really loves it. I make and used to sell many, many dozens every year and gave many to friends and family. My girls all make them and now the grands have started making them as well.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      January 30, 2019 at 5:43 am

      What a lovely tradition!

      Reply
  34. Diane

    March 26, 2019 at 7:48 am

    I have made kolaczkifor over 50 years, since I married into a Polish, Lithuanian family. I have always gotten a flaky, sweet dough with a much more complicated dough of egg yolks, heavy cream, butter, Crisco, flour, yeast and vanilla. I will try these to see if they are close to mine since they are so easy. I love the sweetness of my dough, but I am getting old for this heavy duty Stuff!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      March 26, 2019 at 11:32 am

      Good luck, Diane!

      Reply
  35. Donato

    October 5, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    These have always been my favorite cookie since I was a child. I find the trick to keep them from opening is to use a tiny bit of the filling on the top of your finger as a “glue” as you’re folding them. This will help but if they still open up on you there is another little trick I’ve used. They’re very moldable while they’re still hot. As soon as they come out of the oven I will re seal them and but other cookies up against them to keep them closed as they cool. It will really cut down on the “rejects”…. even though they’re always the first to get eaten lol
    And

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      October 8, 2019 at 8:42 am

      Thanks for the tips! They are a challenge, but yes, it’s so easy to justify eating the open ones! 🙂

      Reply
  36. Rebecca Slizowska

    October 22, 2019 at 3:36 am

    I’m really looking forward to trying these out. Can you tell me if it’s possible to make in advance and freeze the dough? Or even if anyone has ever successfully frozen them when made? Thank you

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      October 22, 2019 at 6:36 am

      Hi Rebecca, I have frozen them. I don’t add powdered sugar until ready to serve. If they seem a little soft when they thaw, pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes, then cool and add powdered sugar.

      Reply
  37. Terri

    November 15, 2019 at 8:26 am

    1st time I made this didn’t read the recipe and used flour for rolling, which I should have rolled the dough thinner but when I realized it asked for sugar I said oops then went ahead and sprinkled sugar on top before I filled, to give the dough a little bit more sweetness. This time I did it exactly as the recipe stated and there was too much sugar in the dough when rolling it. It’s more helpful to use flour first then sprinkle the top with sugar when you’re about to cut them. I will try again, they are delicious I just want to perfect it.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 15, 2019 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks for the suggestions, Terri!

      Reply
  38. Ashley

    November 28, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    These are the best cookies. Honestly it feels so good to have such wonderful recipies from my roots. My whole family devoured these last Christmas. I even sent some to the hospital with my Dad for my Mom while she was in the ICU to cheer her up and they did just that. Your genuine love of Polish culture and cuisine is felt and I am so happy to have found your website. I cannot wait to receive my cookbook. I live in Canada and my friend in Colorado will be sending it to me as I eagerly await. Keep up the amazing work!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  39. Ashley

    November 28, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    I forgot to mention, while I made the traditional apricot, which were amazing, I also made one’s with a prune, golden raisin and cranberry filling that was probably my favorite. I ran out of apricots so I threw together what I had, it worked wonderful. I did freeze some as well and I second the pop in the oven, but even soft they were great.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  40. Linda

    December 1, 2019 at 6:40 am

    Stumbled across your site by accident, but was so excited to see your recipe! My mom, and now I, made kolachkies every Christmas. Our dough is similar, except we add powdered sugar to it. We always used Solo apricot filling, but this year I want to make cranberry. Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 5, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      Thanks for your note, Linda. I hope you enjoy the cranberry. Happy holidays to you too!

      Reply
  41. Rita

    December 10, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    I’ve made these all the time. I only use apricot filling and prune plum. Love them. Old recipe from.my mom..

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  42. Nancy

    December 11, 2019 at 7:01 am

    My Czech grandmother always made these for the holidays with nut filling and apricot. The apricots were my absolute favorite! Unfortunately, she passed away many years ago and we were unable to get the recipe. So I am very happy to find this and am looking forward to trying it out. I just have two questions concerning these: 1) Can these be made ahead and frozen? And 2) I see many comments from people who use the Solo brand filling. I have not seen that brand in the local stores where I live (Southwestern PA). Can someone suggest where I might locate it, or recommend another brand? Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 14, 2019 at 9:11 am

      Amazon carries it:
      https://amzn.to/38GMrhp

      Reply
      • Micki Grant

        January 3, 2020 at 5:56 pm

        You could also look for Baker brand – I believe it’s related to the Solo brand, but perhaps in different markets.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  43. Angela M Kaptur

    December 15, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    Help! I just made these for my husband today and they keep opening while they are baking. I did 1/4 thickness but are they still too thick ya think? They are delicious anyways but I’d love for them to stay closed!! Or punch them more? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 16, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      Maybe even a little thinner with the dough. I’ve had the best luck putting a dot of water on one corner and pinching it to the opporsite corner before foling them down. Some bakers stick a toothpick through the top flap to hold it down while baking.

      Reply
  44. Jacqueline

    December 27, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    I made all my Polish dishes from scratch this Christmas, one being this recipe for kolaczki cookies. Never having made these before, they turned out to be a big hit for dessert! This is a five star recipe! Thank you so much!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 28, 2019 at 7:46 am

      Thanks, Jacqueline; I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them, and congrats on all the from-scratch dishes you made – a labor of love!

      Reply
  45. Jasmine

    January 1, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    When you say to dust with sugar before rolling, do you mean granulated sugar or confectioners sugar? I’m super excited to try this recipe out!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      January 5, 2020 at 7:17 am

      Hi Jasmine, I’ve edited to say granular, but you could use a mix of the two.

      r two.

      Reply
  46. AJ

    January 11, 2020 at 10:38 am

    How many dues this make?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      January 13, 2020 at 3:41 pm

      About 4 dozen.

      Reply
  47. Greg Swierzbinski

    April 8, 2020 at 6:12 am

    try Kolazcki with Nutella as the filling….super yummy!!

    Reply
  48. Hannah J Parrish

    May 8, 2020 at 1:50 am

    So easy and delicious! I’m so glad I found this recipe!

    Reply
  49. Fran Doll

    May 30, 2020 at 10:51 am

    This is recipe used for generations . . I changed the “roll”. I make balls, then flatten out a bit and make deep thumbprints. You then fill depressions with teaspoons of fav fillngs. We prefer the minced walnuts with beaten eggwhites, meringue,second preference is poppyseed mix, and the kids make it with cherry, blueberry or other canned pie filling. No rolling . . kids can help me!

    Reply
  50. Dana Anderson

    November 29, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    Hi. A few days ago I made (sour) cherry jam – first harvest from my little tree in the yard. Sour cherries are impossible to get here in NZ, so I planted a tree 2 years ago. Mum said it reminded her of the kolaczkis her mother used to make (her mother was German), so I looked up recipes and liked yours best. Will make them for Christmas with the cherry jam filling. Thank you for your wonderful post 🙂
    In regards to the difficulty with rolling out pastry – growing up Mum always rolled out her pastry between two pieces of Glad wrap. I use baking paper. Makes it so easy!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 9, 2020 at 9:03 am

      Thanks for the tip. I’m jealous of your sour cherry trees!

      Reply
  51. Barbara

    December 2, 2020 at 6:11 am

    I belong to a cookie baking group and someone suggested using small thin spaghetti (uncooked) like a toothpick yo anchor the end together while baking. Works like a charm! And no more opening up while baking.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 9, 2020 at 9:01 am

      What a great trick, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  52. Donna

    December 13, 2020 at 12:17 pm

    The trick to eliminate the “open flower look” on your kolaczki is, as you fold over the 2 opposite tips, take the one that will lie over the other & dip into the filling, this makes it stick together. As they bake, most of the time will not open back up. But if they do, I just fold back to the center as soon as you remove them from the oven while dough is still pliable. It will lie flat after cooling. Once you cover in powered sugar, you will not notice if there is any cracking from the fold over if should occur.

    Reply
  53. Karina

    December 14, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    Do you keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and how long will they keep for?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 16, 2020 at 10:41 am

      I keep them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If we won’t eat them all in that time (almost unheard of), I freeze them.

      Reply
  54. BigG

    January 4, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    Made these the other day for a small gathering of friends. Big hit! Used solo apricot, homemade apple butter and homemade cranberry – orange filling. I did have trouble with the dough being too flimsy, but added 1 cup flour – too dry, then a half stick of melted butter – worked perfectly. Thank you

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  55. Michelle Kovacevick

    September 15, 2020 at 10:29 am

    Do you have a recipe for the version that uses egg yoke, vanilla and lard? It was my Grandma’s recipe that I cannot find

    Reply
  56. polishhousewife

    September 15, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    Hi Michelle, I haven’t seen a recipe like this, but maybe you could start with this recipe, and adjust if needed. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/pie/egg-yolk-pastry.html

    Reply

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