Kołaczki Cookies (also called Kolache, Kolachy, or Polish holiday cookies) are delicate Polish holiday pastries made from a tender cream cheese dough wrapped around sweet fillings like fruit preserves or poppy seed paste. Their flaky, buttery texture and jewel-toned centers make them both elegant and comforting, a cherished treat on Christmas cookie plates. Lightly dusted with powdered sugar, they offer a perfect balance of richness and bright sweetness in every bite.
Kołaczki Cookies (Polish Holiday Cookies)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface area
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Poppy seed, apricot and strawberry pastry filling
- Confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is well combined.
- Add flour, vanilla, and salt; beating until the mixture is just combined.
- Divide the dough into 2 disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and let them chill for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
- Once properly chilled. Prepare for baking by removing them from the refrigerator and preheating the oven to 375°F.
- Working with 1 disk section at a time, roll each out on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into cookies by using a 2-inch round cutter. Place them on a cookie or baking sheet and make an indentation in each with your thumb.
- Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of pastry filling of your choice into each indentation.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the pan and let them cool completely to room temperature on a cooling grid or wire racks.
- Dust cookies with confectioners' sugar before serving… and enjoy.
Notes
- Customize your Kolachy cookies with your favorite fillings: try jams, preserves, cream cheese, Nutella, or nuts.
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