I bring you this recipe as a very humble woman.

These are my VERY favorite cookie of the season…

an old Slovenian recipe of my Mom’s…

Kolachy.

Kolachy are the JEWELS of Christmas cookies.

Flaky cream cheese crust filled with jam and preserves….apricot, pineapple and raspberry.

There’s even a homemade nut filling for you nut lovers.

They are pretty and cute…and so easy to pop in your mouth.

Little did I know how much work they were!

This was my plan…

Monday – clean the house and finish Christmas shopping.

Tuesday – make Kolachy and shoot photos.

Wednesday – write blog post and wrap presents.

It didn’t go that way. I didn’t realize that making Kolachy was a two day process with an definite attention to detail along the way! Mom always made Kolachy and we would always help – either in filling them, powder-sugaring them 0r eating them. I don’t think I ever took them from start to finish.

This week I did…and it darned near brought out the grinch in me.

As I was driving Mom to day care this week, I told her I was making Kolachy and what advice could she give me?

Pinch them good.

I told my Dad I was making Kolachy this week. His response was:

Now you’ll realize what Mom used to do for Christmas.

Hmmm….curiosity definitely aroused.

So let’s begin.

The dough is a very basic pastry dough.

Butter, cream cheese, flour and baking powder.

Mom’s recipe calls for cutting the butter and cream cheese into the flour with your hands. I thought I would shortcut it by using my mixer.

Boy was I wrong! This time Mom was right. Use your hands!

My mixer was whomp whomp walking along the counter until I finally relieved the motor of the stress.

By using your hands, you can incorporate the butter and cream cheese with the flour well. The warmth of your hands helps make everything blend together well.

Divide the dough up into balls (I doubled the recipe – thus four balls).

Wrap in saran wrap and chill overnight. (I did try to make one ball earlier to step up my plan, forget it…chill overnight like Mom says!)

The next day, take the chilled dough ball out and roll to 1/8″ thin. (Some of the dough balls I worked with weren’t that thin…and the cookies were too doughy.)

Work with the dough, let the butter and cream cheese soften and soon it will cooperate and roll into a beautiful sheet of pastry.

Cut the dough into 3″ x 3″ squares.

Prepare your fillings.

Jams and preserves work best…you can use your favorites!

Mine are apricot, raspberry and pineapple. I’ve also included my Mom’s nut filling in the recipe.

Put a dollop of preserves in the center of each square.

Bring two corner together (I like to put a bit of white egg wash on my fingertip as glue) and…

PINCH!

This is where I got confused…

Am I pinching too hard?

Am I pinching too soft?

Sometimes I would win…

sometimes I would lose…

I guess it comes with experience.

Powdered sugar is the great forgiver!

Kolachy

A Kitchen Muse: A Kitchen Muse

Recipe type: Holiday Dessert

Prep time: 24 hours

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 24 hours 15 mins

A Slovak cookie recipe – cream cheese dough filled with jams!

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese (I use the low fat version)
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Jams and preserves (raspberry, apricot, pineapple – your choice!)
Powdered sugar
WALNUT FILLING:
2 cups ground walnuts
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup hot water

Instructions

Cream cheese and butter should be cold.
Sift flour with baking powder into a bowl.
Cut cream cheese and butter into chunks and add to flour.
Knead by hand until ingredients are distributed evenly and the dough forms a compact ball.
Divide into two balls. Cover with saran wrap and chill until very cold – preferably overnight.
Roll out one ball at a time using as little flour as possible to ⅛” thickness.
Cut into 3″ squares. Place a dollop of jam or filling in the center.
Fold one corner of the square to the center of the filling.
Fold the opposite corner to the center, overlapping a little.
Pinch together slightly.
A small portion of the filling should be visible above and below the overlap.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (my preference as the jam tends to run).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until light brown.
Cool on wire racks and dust with powdered sugar.
NUT FILLING: Combine all ingredients and mix well.