Kolaczki are traditional Polish cookies made with a cream cheese cookie base and filled with sweet jam. This recipe will be the hit of your next cookie exchange. They are beautiful to look at, are filled with delicious fillings and a seriously addictive.
The Polish cream cheese cookies recipe makes such a spectacular cookie. When on any buffet table or cookie tray will impress and delight with their array of flavors.
What are Kolaczki or Polish Cookies?
Kolaczki (pronounced coal-atch-kee) are traditional Polish cookies made with a cream cheese cookie dough and filled with a variety of sweet jams.
You can use any flavor jam that you prefer – apricot, raspberry, prune, strawberry. The combinations are endless.
Moreover, you can use poppy seed, cheese or other fillings. There is some debate as to the origins of these delicate, cookies – you can find out more of their history here.
How to Make Kolaczki or Polish Cookies – Step by Step
- Make Dough: First, mix cream cheese and softened unsalted butter in a stand mixer. Gradually add in three cups of flour. Mix well. (Photo 1 below)
- Let Set: Wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour. (Photo 2 below)
- Roll Cookies: Place a quarter of the dough on a dough board and roll out to a thin layer. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. (Photo 3 below)
- Shape: Next, place jam in the center and pinch together opposite sides. Rub a little water on the place where you pinched together in order to keep them together when baking. (Photo 4 below)
- Prepare Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (Photo 1 below)
- Bake: Bake for 13 minutes then remove to cooling rack. (Photo 2 below)
- Let Cool and Dust: Finally, dust with powdered sugar. Store in airtight (Photo 3 below)
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Tips for Making Traditional Polish Cookies
- Always read the recipe through (at least) once before you start baking. It will ensure you have all of the ingredients you need and enough time allotted to make the cookies.
- Use the best ingredients you can, such as pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation vanilla. Your cookies will only taste as good as the ingredients you use to make them.
- Use butter, not margarine. The higher fat content helps cookies maintain the proper texture and consistency.
- Measure your ingredients with care. If you use the wrong type of measuring cup for your ingredients, your measurements will be inaccurate. Check out my YouTube channel for a quick video on which measuring cups to use.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure that you have uniform size cookies. Always leave at least two inches of space between cookies so they don’t spread into each other.
- Always preheat the oven the proper temperature before baking. And, you should rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking to ensure even heating.
For more great cookie baking tips, check out my blog.
Can You Freeze Kolaczki?
Absolutely, you can freeze the dough in a freezer bag and thaw it in the refrigerator for a day or two prior to use. Then just follow the directions as listed below in the recipe card.
Alternatively, you can freeze these Kolaczki cookies in an airtight container for up to a month.
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Expert Tips for Making These Polish Cookies
- Recipe Can be Doubled: Cookies are great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and follow the directions in the recipe card.
- Fruit it up: In this recipe, I use Apricot filling but use a variety to make a great display and also to appeal to everyone’s taste.
- Keep it Cool: Especially a dough like this, remember to work in small batches keeping the rest chilled in the fridge,
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Kolaczki – Traditional Polish Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 3 cups flour; plus more for rolling cookies
- 1 cup apricot jam or raspberry jam
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese and softened unsalted butter in a stand mixer. Add in three cups of flour. Mix well. Wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Place a quarter of the dough on a dough board and roll out to a thin layer. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Place jam in the center and pinch together opposite sides. Rub a little water on the place where you pinched together in order to keep them together when baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container.
Expert Tips
- Recipe Can be Doubled: Cookies are great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and follow the directions in the recipe card.
- Fruit it up: In this recipe, I use Apricot filling but use a variety to make a great display and also to appeal to everyone’s taste.
- Keep it Cool: Especially a dough like this, remember to work in small batches keeping the rest chilled in the fridge,
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
Do these have to be refrigerated after baked? Are they safe and fresh if you mail them
They do not need to be refrigerated. And, it would depend on how you package them to mail and how long the mailing process takes (ie. international vs local).