Description
Kolacky cookies are tender, flaky pastries made with a delicate cream cheese and butter dough, filled with smooth fruit preserves like apricot, raspberry, or cherry. These delightful cookies are lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, offering a perfect balance of buttery richness and sweet fruity flavor, making them a wonderful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, cold
- 1 cup Cold Butter
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Filling
- 12 oz Can of Fruit Pie Filling (Apricot, Raspberry, Cherry, etc. – blend if chunky to smooth)
Topping
- Confectioners’ Sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: In a stand mixer, combine cold butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix until the dough is well blended and smooth. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut the dough into square shapes.
- Fill and Shape Cookies: Place a small spoonful of fruit pie filling in the center of each square. Take two opposite corners of the square and fold them towards the center, overlapping the corners lightly. Add a little fruit filling between the overlapping corners to help the dough stick and keep the cookie closed during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange the shaped cookies on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, checking halfway through to ensure the cookies remain closed. If any open, gently press the corners back together promptly.
- Cool and Dust: Once baked, transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely. After cooling, sprinkle them generously with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling to prevent it from becoming too sticky and difficult to handle.
- If using chunky fruit pie filling, pulse it in a food processor to achieve a smooth consistency for easier filling.
- Use parchment paper to reduce cleanup and prevent cookies from sticking to the sheet.
- Handle the cookies gently when folding corners to avoid tearing the dough.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for several days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Central European
Keywords: Kolacky, Kolache, Cream Cheese Cookies, Fruit Filled Cookies, Pastry Cookies, Traditional Desserts, Apricot Kolacky, Raspberry Kolacky, Cherry Kolacky
