Recipes know no borders, Kolaczki are popular in Poland as well as Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Denmark, and probably more places. As you might expect there 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.
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.
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
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PinDescription
A rich pastry with fruit fillings
Ingredients
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
- Cream the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy
- Stir in flour and salt
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour
- Preheat oven to 350
- Roll out the dough by first dusting the surface (mat or counter top) with sugar
- Roll to 1/4 inch and cut into 2 inch squares
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square
- Fold over opposite corners and seal well
- Bake for 15 minute or until corners just begin to brown
- Cool and dust with powdered sugar
For filling:
- Add apricots and water to a saucepan
- Add 2 tablespoons sugar
- Simmer until apricots are tender, about 15 minutes
- Mash or puree with immersion blender
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.
★★★★★
Store bought falls short with so many things!
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.
★★★★★
I’m sorry for your loss, Tori. Continuing the Kolaczki tradition is a wonderful way to honor his memory.
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.
★★★★★
Thanks Elizabeth!
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.
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!
My grandmother used to use lard for baking too!
I love fruit-filled cookies like this, Lois! Can’t wait to try them.
Super, I hope you enjoy them, David!
Very Nice.. i read it… its awesome.. love these..!!
Crazy question but when you say spread sugar out before rolling. Do you mean regular or confectioners?
Not crazy at all, Colleen. I dusted the rolling surface with regular sugar rather than flour.
Can we use preservatives
I think it would be fine.
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.
Thanks for the tip!
I think it’s about 4 dozen
My son has a mill allergy. Is there a dough without dairy?
Most of them seem to have cream cheese or sour cream. You might try used a vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream.
I love these cookies and just made some. Some of mine don’t stay closed, any tips?
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
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.
Thank you!
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.
★★★★★
In Poland do they say kolaczki or kołaczki? My family says kolaczki but I’ve heard the other pronunciation too. Thanks!
I see it most often as kołaczki on Polish websites.
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.
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.
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!
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Good pointers, thanks, Elizabeth!