Kolachy
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!
- 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
- 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.
They taste great…and someday I’ll conquer making them like my Mom did!
Wishing you the Merriest of the Holiday Season…
Hug your loved ones a little tighter this year…
Let go of the things that don’t matter…
but most of all…
Take care of yourself!
Happy Holidays!
15 Comments → “Kolachy”
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I remember making these with grandma… I have yet to make them on my own. I can’t wait to eat them when I get home! See you on Saturday!!
I’ve got a whole box of these lovelies waiting for you!
It’s the pinching – didn’t seem that hard when Mom made them. Ours too opened half the time but at least it’s one tradition we are passing along as Katie made ours. Oh if we only knew then what we know now . . . .
Amen…or what we DON’T know now!
They look lovely. So glad we captured these recipes….and yours look just like Mom’s! If you need help with the “unpinched” losers…let me know. I always remember Mom saying…”eat those first”!!
You have brought back wonderful memories of my Mom making these for my Czech-born father!
Peace and Love!
Dotti
Hey Linda, I’ve totally forgot on this dessert! My mother used to prepare this cake when I was a child and I loved it vary much! Thanks for the sweet memories!
This is a wonderful blog. I remember making these cookies with my aunts and grandpa growing up!
Thanks Erika! You’ll enjoy these cookies!
Planning on making a recipe similar to these (cottage cheese instead of cream cheese) for the first time this weekend and curious. You don’t say approx. how many this recipe makes and…..can you freeze them? If you can feeze, should you freeze before baking or after. Thanks, would appreciate any advice.
One single recipe should yield around 48 cookies – depending on the size of the square you cut. Yes, they freeze beautifully after baking. Just unthaw and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
OMG, thanks so much for the quick response! I’ll definitely let you know how they turn out.
I am in process of making these:)
So excited to have found recipe. I made these when I was 12 at a friends grandmoms house. They were so good, as I have obsessed wondering what they were. I just found site and went downstairs to begin making them! Wish me luck! Merry christmas!
These are the real deal! Enjoy! and Merry Christmas!
Promised to write and let you know how my Kolachy turned out. My husband and I made them last weekend, 150+ of poppyseed/nut/pineapple/raspberry, froze them and defrosted one container tonight for a family get-together. Well, they didn’t even get a chance to completely defrost because the “guys” devoured them before I had a chance to sprinkle powdered sugar! All the work is basically trial & error and you learn very fast the correct way but it was worth it to see everyone eat them and hear the compliments. Thanks so much for the tips and confidence you instilled! have a wonderful, perfect Christmas! Pat