In my family, Kolacky – Polish cookies, are a Christmas tradition. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them. For more than 15 years my sister has been entrusted with the family duty of making these cookies for our Christmas Eve dessert. She’s perfected the recipe and the process of making them.
These extra flaky pastries are filled with pastry filling and dusted with pretty powdered sugar. Depending on availability in your store, there are several flavors like almond, cherry, raspberry, poppy seed, and apricot. My personal favorites are almond and raspberry. I’d love to hear from you in the comments on which flavor is your favorite if you’ve tried these before.
4 cups flour
1 packet dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/2 stick butter, cold
3/4 – 1 cup sour cream
3 egg yolks
1-2 cups powdered sugar
2 cans pastry filling
In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Using a Pastry Cutter
(link is an affiliate link) to cut the butter into the dry mix. It will still be lumpy. Add 3/4 cups sour cream and yolks. Combine until dough mostly sticks together. Add more sour cream bit by bit, if needed. Make a ball with the dough. Divide and roll dough into 8 equal balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator over night. Dough can be stored up to 4 days.
Cover your rolling surface with a dusting of sifted powder sugar. Take one ball out of the refrigerator and start rolling out the dough by pushing down in the center of the ball with a rolling-pin. Turn 1/4 turn, and push out from the center again. Turn 1/4 turn and push out from the center, but don’t roll out to the edges. This will create uneven edges. Continue pressing from the center out and then turning 1/4 turn. Occasionally sprinkling the dough with sprinkling If edges start to crack, then form the dough back together. Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
Using a pizza cutter, divide dough into 8 equal triangular segments. Place about 1 teaspoon pastry filling at the large end of the triangle. Roll starting from the large end, over the filling. Place kolacky on a parchment lined baking sheet. Be sure that the small end or tip of the roll is under the cookie. This will prevent it from popping up while baking.
Bake at 350 for 12 -16 minutes until the cookie is has browned. Remove cookies and let cool. Sprinkle more powder sugar on top. If you’re not going to serve the day of, store in an air tight container in the freezer.
- 4 cups flour
- 1 packet dry yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2½ stick butter, cold
- ¾ - 1 cup sour cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cans pastry filling
- In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Using a Pastry Cutter (like this affiliate) to cut the butter into the dry mix. It will still be lumpy. Add ¾ cups sour cream and yokes. Combine until dough mostly sticks together. Add more sour cream bit by bit, if needed. Make a ball with the dough. Divide and roll dough into 8 equal balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator over night. Dough can be stored up to 4 days.
- Cover your rolling surface with a dusting of sifted powder sugar. Take one ball out of the refrigerator and start rolling out the dough by pushing down in the center of the ball with a rolling pin. Turn ¼ turn, and push out from the center again. Turn ¼ turn and push out from the center, but don't roll out to the edges. This will create uneven edges. Continue pressing from the center out and then turning ¼ turn. Occasionally sprinkling the dough with sprinkling If edges start to crack form the dough back together. Roll dough to about ⅛ inch thick.
- Using a pizza cutter, divide dough into 8 equal triangular segments. Place about 1 teaspoon pastry filling at the large end of the triangle. Roll starting from the large end, over the filling. Place kolacky on a parchment lined baking sheet. Be sure that the small end or tip of the roll is under the cookie. This will prevent it from popping up while baking.
- Bake at 350 for 12 -16 minutes until the cookie is has browned. Remove cookies and let cool. Sprinkle more powder sugar on top. If you're not going to serve the day of, store in an air tight container in the freezer.
Hey look! Another of my recipes made the blog! Just for the record, I’ve been making these for 25 years, and I don’t think I have perfected anything. I just eat all the bad ones before anyone sees them. Happy holidays!
Still making your pork tenderloin, so I got to try these.