Kolaczki Cookies – A classic Polish Christmas cookies filled with fruit preserves. These tender, flaky, and delicious treats are perfect for the holiday season!
What are kolaczki cookies?
Kolaczki cookies are traditional Polish pastry-like cookies made with cream cheese, butter and fruit preserves. They are known for their tender, flaky texture and jam-filled centers. These Polish cream cheese cookies are often enjoyed during Christmas time as part of holiday cookie trays and other special occasions. You will need just a handful of simple ingredients to make these traditional polish cookies, and you can swap the fillings with different fruit preserves, poppy seed filling, almond paste or nut fillings.
The cream cheese dough is rolled out, cut into squares, and the corners are folded over the jam filling to make a diamond shape. They are baked until edges are lightly browned and dusted with powdered sugar for sweetness and festive appearance. Kolaczki cookies are not only delicious but also a nostalgic not to traditional polish cuisine, often bringing families together to bake during the holiday season.
Ingredients & Substitutions:
Flour – Plain flour or all-purpose flour is the base of the cookie dough. I haven’t tried with any other flour yet.
Cream Cheese – It adds tang and tenderness to the cookies. It can be substituted with mascarpone cheese for a milder flavor.
Butter – I have used unsalted butter. Make sure it is softened at room temperature.
Powdered Sugar – You will need powdered sugar or icing sugar to sprinkle on the cookies. Do not skip it because we are not adding any sugar to the cream cheese dough.
Fruit Preserves – Use any thick jam or fruit preserve. Avoid using thin or watery jams to prevent leaking. I have used cherry, strawberry, apricot and mango fruit jams in this recipe. It can be substituted with poppy seed filling, almond paste, or nut fillings.
Salt – Omit if using salted butter.
Serving suggestions:
Kolaczki cookies make wonderful and delicious gifts. Pack them in a cookie tin during the festive season. These are perfect for the holiday gathering, parties and cookie exchanges.
These can be served as a snack along with a cup of coffee or tea.
Storage suggestions:
They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to store them for longer, freeze them. Once the cookies are baked and cooled, transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Variations:
You can use any of your favorite fruit jams such as apricot, mango, cherry, strawberry, raspberry or mixed fruit jam.
You can also use sweet almond paste or poppy seeds filling to fill the cookies.
Replace jam with any chocolate spread or nutella for a chocolatey twist.
Add a touch of cinnamon, cardamom or vanilla extract to the dough for extra flavor. You could also add a little bit of orange or lemon zest for a subtle citrus flavor.
Tips & Notes:
The kolaczki cookie dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Do not skip chilling the dough, it helps to retain their shape and achieve the best flaky texture. If you are not able to roll the dough, chill it for some more time.
Roll the dough evenly to ensure even baking.
Do not use thin or watery fruit preserve or any other fillings to avoid leakage.
Roll out and cut the dough in small batches and keeping the rest refrigerated to maintain its firmness. It will be easy to roll when the dough is chilled.
Seal the edges properly.
Step by step instructions:
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Add softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined.
Gradually add the flour and mix until just combined.
You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer or spatula to make the dough.
Form the dough into a ball.
Wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Dust the surface with powdered sugar and cut the chilled dough into 2 parts. Put one part of the dough back in the refrigerator until use.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the dough about ¼-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares.
Arrange the dough squares on the prepared baking sheet and place a ½ teaspoon of jam in the center of each square.
Rub a drop of water to one corner. Overlap opposite corner to seal well.
Bake them in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
More Christmas recipes:
- Honey Joys
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Potato Chip Cookies
- Oreo Bark
- Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Gingerbread Snowballs
- Lemon Meltaways
- Biscoff Trufles
- Swedish Chocolate
- Buckeyes
Polish kolaczki cookies recipe video below:
Polish Kolaczki Cookies
Ingredients
- 1.5 Cups All-Purpose Flour / Plain Flour
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ Cup Cream Cheese, softened
- ⅓ Cup Jam / Fruit Preserves or as needed
- Powdered Sugar for Dusting
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined.
- Gradually add the flour and mix until just combined. You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer or spatula to make the dough.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until easy to handle.
- Dust the surface with powdered sugar and cut the chilled dough into 2 parts. Put one part of the dough back in the refrigerator until use.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out the dough about ¼-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares.
- Arrange the dough squares on the prepared baking sheet and place a ½ teaspoon of jam in the center of each square.
- Rub a drop of water to one corner. Overlap opposite corner to seal well.
- Bake them in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only.
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