The first time I saw these little pastries was at a holiday party at a relatives house. I was very young and reluctant to try an ugly black cookie (it was poppy seed). As an adult, I discovered just how wonderful these Eastern European traditional treats are and a few years ago I went looking for a recipe. I discovered that there are as many different versions as there are grandmothers who make them. Many of the older recipes are made with yeast. I didn’t want to make something that involved but I also didn’t want to settle for a flat, pie crust-like dough either. I found this recipe made with cream cheese and it turned out to be the perfect compromise making a sweet, soft dough. I always double this recipe which will then use up three jars of filling. Choosing which flavors to buy is the hard part. I can’t live without poppyseed or nut filling. For my third jar I bounce back and forth from year to year between apricot, cherry, or prune. Not only are there many versions of this recipe, but it seems that there are just as many different spellings and pronounciations. Whatever you call them or however you spell it, these are a delicious addition to the cookie tray.
Kolacky
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- filling of your choice (traditional flavors include poppyseed, nut, apricot and prune and can be found in the baking aisle of your supermarket)
Blend butter, sugars, and egg yolks. Blend in baking powder and flour. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll between two sheets of wax paper until 1/4″ thick. Cut into 3″ squares. Place one Tbsp. filling in the center of each square and then fold two opposite corners to the center and pinch closed, leaving the other ends open. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. When cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired.
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