Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (2024)

You may be surprised that the most famous Polish cookies, kolacky, are… not that famous in Poland. I was shocked by how popular are kolacky among Poles living abroad (especially Americans). Being born and raised in Poland, I’ve tried these cookies several times, however, they definitely weren’t the most popular among my family and friends.

When I tried to bake kolacky for the first time, I quickly understood why so many people love these cookies. The dough is easy to make, you can use any fruit or cheese for the filling. You don’t need to spend a lot of time forming the cookies, just take the opposite corners and pinch them together.

Tips For Baking Kolacky

Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (1)

Use ONLY Solid Jam.

Make sure your filling is not watery, otherwise the cookies may fall apart in the oven.

What Type Of Cheese Is Best For Kolacky?

Although you can choose any type of white cheese to make the dough, it is best to opt for the more creamy one, the Philadelphia type. Farmer’s cheese might be a little bit too dry for it.

Add An Egg If You Want.

You can add one egg yolk to the dough and use the egg white to brush kolacky before baking (they will have a slightly better color).

Don’t Be Afraid To Use Icing Sugar.

Dust your cookies with a good amount of powdered sugar, but do it just before serving. Icing sugar tends to melt on moist surfaces, and although the sweet taste will

Pinch The Opposite Corners Of The Square REALLY Tight.

Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (2)

The first time I was baking kolacky, they opened up in the oven. Even though the taste was still great, they didn’t look good. Make sure you pinch the opposite corners of the square really tight.

Use The Cookie Cutter To Make Kolacky Faster

This cookie cutter will help you make kolacky faster.

How To Make Kolacky When You Are In A Hurry?

The process of making kolacky is really time-consuming. You need to make a dough, wait until it’s cold, then roll it out, cut, and form the cookies.

If you don’t have time (or you don’t want to clean up the entire kitchen), you can make lazy kolacky. Here’s how I do it:

  1. Make dough according to the kolacky recipe above.
  2. Tear off a piece of dough and form a small ball (it should be the size of a walnut).

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3. Place the ball into the muffin/cupcake form.

4. Press the ball with your fingers to form a small dimple.

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5. Place the jam inside.

6. Repeat the process with the entire dough.

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7. The baking time should be about 20-25 minutes.

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How To Store Kolacky Cookies?

Even though kolacky cookies taste best fresh, you can still make larger batches and store them for later. You need to store them in an air-tight container, though.

You might also freeze your cookies. Just make sure to lay them in a way, so they do not touch each other Once frozen, store them in batches one on top of the other, separating the layers with parchment paper.

Can I Make The Dough Ahead Of Time As Baking Prep Work?

Kolacky might be a bit time-consuming, and it would be best to split the work when making them for Christmas. Plan ahead of time, prepare the thought a few weeks earlier, and freeze it. Wrap it well in a cling film and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. For defrost, leave it in the fridge overnight.

Serving Tips

Traditionally kolacky cookies are served simply dusted with icing sugar, but they also taste great with these few add-ons:

  • ice cream on the side
  • whipped fresh cream
  • decorated with melted echolocate
  • or dipped in a fruit moose

Easy Kolacky Recipe

Yield: 20 servings

Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try!

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Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Kolacky Dough

  • 2 cups of unsalted butter
  • 2 cups of cream cheese
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 2 tbsps of sugar (optionally)

Kolacky Filling

  • 2 small jars of jam (20 oz)

Optionally

  • Egg
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat the butter with cream cheese. [both should be in room temperature]
  2. Start adding the flour gradually. Form the dough using a hand or food processor. Beat until the flour is incorporated and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
  3. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour (may be overnight). Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (8)
  4. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
  5. Roll out the dough on a floured pastry board. It should be about ⅛'' thick.
  6. Cut into small squares (about 2-3''). Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (9)
  7. Place the jam in the center of each square (½ teaspoon for each).Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (10)
  8. Pinch the opposite corners of the squares to form the cookie.
  9. Place kolackys on the pan lined with baking paper.
  10. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.
  11. Cool off. If you want the cookies to be sweeter, sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Notes

  1. Be sure to pinch the opposite corners of the squares REALLY tight, otherwise, the cookies may open up in the oven.
  2. Kolacky are sweet enough without the powdered sugar, I didn't use it at all.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix

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Did you like this Polish kolacky cookies recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

Easy Kolacky Recipe - Polish Christmas Cookies You Need To Try! (2024)

FAQs

Are kolaches Polish or Czech or Polish? ›

In fact, this staple of Central Texan gastronomy actually hails from Czech Republic, where a koláček (the diminutive form of koláč, pronounced kolach; plural koláčky) is a round yeast pastry with a sweet filling in the center!

What is Kolaczki made of? ›

Ingredients
  1. 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
  2. 1 1/2 cups salted butter (room temperature)
  3. 3 cups all-purpose flour.
  4. Granulated sugar (for rolling out dough)
  5. Confectioners' sugar (for rolling out dough)
  6. 8 to 10 ounces cake and pastry filling (raspberry, apricot, prune, etc.)
  7. 1 large egg white.
Mar 7, 2024

How long can you keep kolache dough in the fridge? ›

The dough must be refrigerated overnight. The kolache can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. From Washington cookbook author Carol Cutler.

Are kolaches German or Polish? ›

Kolaches are Czech pastries made of a yeast dough and usually filled with fruit, but sometimes cheese. The ultra-traditional flavors — such as poppy seed, apricot, prune and a sweet-but-simple farmer's cheese — can be traced back to the pastry's Eastern European origin.

What is a kolache with meat called? ›

Klobasneks are much more commonly known as kolaches in Texas, but should not be confused with traditional Czech kolaches, which are also popular and are known by the same name. Klobasneks are similar in style to sausage rolls, but the meat is wrapped in kolache dough.

What are the best Polish biscuits? ›

Jeżyki are the best biscuits ever, a crunchy biscuit topped with caramel and a different mix of ingredients like raisins, nuts, crisped rice, etc.

What flavors are Kolachkes? ›

The most common flavors are: prune, poppy seed, cream cheese, and apricot. I've also seen blueberry, cherry, and lemon. I'm willing to talk about savory kolaches with eggs, bacon and sausage, but honestly, I didn't grow up on those.

What is the history of kolaczki cookies? ›

The origin of the kolache is said to be both Polish and Czechoslovakian, and can refer to a number of butter based pastries that include cream cheese. The kolache cookie is no exception, and the simplicity of this treat lies in its five ingredients: butter, cream cheese, flour, jam, and powdered sugar.

What is the difference between a kolach and a kolache? ›

Kolache is the plural form of kolach, which indicates one, single pastry despite many Texans still adding an extra “s” to indicate many “kolaches” (plural).

What is zero in Polish? ›

Polish Numbers From Zero To Twenty

zero — zero. one — jeden. two — dwa. three — trzy. four — cztery.

What does kolache mean in english? ›

kolache (plural kolaches) A pastry consisting of a filling (typically fruit or cheese) inside a bread roll, popular in the United States.

Why is my kolache dough sticky? ›

Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

Are pigs in a blanket the same as kolaches? ›

So today is National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day. Pigs in a blanket are the little biscuit-wrapped sausages we eat for breakfast, or maybe something served as an appetizer at a party. Kolaches, on the other hand, are fruit filled pastries, which were introduced to the U.S. by Czech immigrants.

Can kolaches be left out overnight? ›

If kept at room temperature, kolaches should be eaten within 24 hours. Kolaches may be kept frozen and well wrapped for up to 3 weeks.

Are kolaches Czech? ›

Kolaches are a traditional Czech dessert. The name originates from the Czech word “kolo,” which means “circle.” In Czech, a single one is called a kolache, and more than one is called kolaches – though in America, you may hear them called kolaches.

How can you tell Czech from Polish? ›

Alphabet: Czech and Polish both use the Latin alphabet, but the Polish alphabet has 9 additional letters with diacritics (ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż) that are not used in Czech. Pronunciation: While both languages have similar vowel sounds, there are differences in the pronunciation of consonants.

What heritage are kolaches? ›

The iconic Czech pastry known as kolaches is a delicacy made with a supple, raised sweet dough and filled with any number of traditional fillings, including cottage cheese (the Czech version of cheesecake), poppy seed, or spiced plum. Kolaches are to Czech culture as apple pie is to American.

Is Czech language similar to Polish? ›

Spoken by over 10 million people, it serves as the official language of the Czech Republic. Czech is closely related to Slovak, to the point of high mutual intelligibility, as well as to Polish to a lesser degree. Czech is a fusional language with a rich system of morphology and relatively flexible word order.

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