These cookies from Poland can be made with different flavors of jam.
Excellent cookies. Not alot of ingredients, but it still takes awhile to prepare. I used a pasty cutter and cut out small squares instead of circles, they were much easier to overlap over the cookie. Also, I used Solo pie and pasty filling instead of the jam.
Read Morethought it was unedible, even my dogs would not eat them
Read MoreExcellent cookies. Not alot of ingredients, but it still takes awhile to prepare. I used a pasty cutter and cut out small squares instead of circles, they were much easier to overlap over the cookie. Also, I used Solo pie and pasty filling instead of the jam.
I loved these they were very easy to make and I only had a few problems with the jelly coming out. Hint: If your dough is not sealing right put a little water on the tip of your fingers.
Very good recipe and easy. I refrigerated the dough overnight, used Solo filling and cut out the cookies with square cutters instead of round. I will definitely make this recipe again!
I make these every year, Theyre fabulous and diabetic friendly depending on your filling. I have found through trial and error that the filling MUST be thickened with cornstarch to avoid it melting and running all over the pan. To prepare the filling, melt your jam in a small saucepan, then make your cornstarch slurry with about a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with enough COLD water to make a loose paste, then add to your jam and cook until thickened.
I've been searching for this recipe for 10 years! My grandmother called them "Horn a plenty", as a child I only knew they were delicious! I added a bit more butter on the second batch and they were perfect!!
These took some time but well worth the effort. I used Simply Fruit apricot and blueberry and they were delicious.
This was the first time I'd ever tried making Kolaches. These were really easy and really good. We used Cherry Jam and Strawberry Jam. Yummy Yummy :)
I lived in Europe and it seems EVERYONE all over the world LOVES these cookies. And being that EVERYONE has a family recipe. This one is delicious just as others are. One tip on the filling is to add superfine bread or cookie crumbs stirred into the jelly then there is no spillage when baked. DELICIOUS cookie. Thanks.
easy to make once you get past you first dozen. cherry preserves worked best didn't run as much. the key to keep them from opening in rolling dough thin and using both hands to pinch. My family enjoys them alot!
These are fabulous! I treated this dough like a pie crust, and it came out perfectly! I chilled my bowl and utensils before starting and I cut the flour into the the butter/cream cheese. Then I let my dough sit in the refrigerator wrapped in waxed paper over night. Use wet fingers to seal the dough together in the middle. I used Solo Pie Filling (three different kinds) and doubled the recipe. Next time I'll triple it!
They tasted okay, but they didn't stay overlapped and most of the jam baked out. Solo canned filing might have been better, but how do you keep them from opening up.
Very good easy cheater recipe but it's not true to the historical cookie. We didn't have cream cheese growing up in Poland, we use a yeast based dough. The traditional filling is plum butter or Powidla, we only used preserves or fresh fruits cooked down to jellied consistency.. The original cookie is much much harder to make and tastes incredible!
Getting thinner is better because it's easier to roll them up and don't cheat on the 2" circles. The amount of jam called for divided by 2 dozen cookies is 1/2 tsp. of jam each, and it works if it's rolled thin & jam put more into the center. I was afraid to push the edges together for fear of squashing the things, but the first batch opened, so I went ahead and pressed on them a bit after that and they were fine. And really watch the bake time - these aren't something you want to overbake! They are like a shortbread and the cream cheese is very subtle. They are on the dry side and the jam helps give them moisture and flavor. In addition to the strawberry, I also did mint, blackberry and grape, and thought the strawberry and mint added the best flavor. (I think apple would be good but didn't have any.) My original opinion was about a 3.5. I'm not a super sweet freak so no issues with the lack of sweetness - just seemed a bit dry. One lady who tried them thought they were a 5 (and loved the lack of sweetness) and a guy thought one flavor was 3.5 and the other 3.8. (One lady who was *Polish* didn't try them!) That kind of all averaged out to about a 4. And I discovered they are a little better the next day - I don't know if others would agree. And they are very pretty. (I agree on the butter. I used real butter and couldn't imagine using margarine with this. And because I can't resist - the description calls these COOKIES so why expect pastry?)
U Can make these by pressing a center well for the filling and leave the filling exposed. That is the way Mary Jo In Nebraska made them for 50 years They were light and yummy Made with a variety of home made Jams.!!
Great recipe! I used apricot fruit spread. The tip about sealing the cookie closed with a little water helps.
These taste like mini raspberry pies - so delicious. Getting them to look good takes more technique than my 10-year-old assistant could master. I made the dough a few days ahead and refrigerated it. Don't do that unless you want to take time to "thaw" it because the butter and cream cheese hardens up and makes rolling difficult to impossible. Using wax paper or parchment between the rolling pin and dough might also make this easier.
I saved this recipe for a few years and finally got to make the jam kolaches...boy they are delicious. I made one mistake..put too much jam and they ran..next batch used less and they were great..one tip I would like to share on thse is ...when the dough was ready I tore a small pice off and rolled it into a ball (use flour to coat your surface first ) and then I rolled it shaping into a circle as i rolled..it was easier than the original recipe called for. thanks for sharing this Polish (which I am ) recipe with us..It tastes just like what my old Auntie used to make.
Great recipe! I had never made this type of cookie before, and anticipated it to be difficult. It wasn't at all! This dough recipe is perfect. Great consistency and flavor. Easy to work with! I used Apricot, Blackberry and Strawberry natural jams/preserves. They were beautiful and a big hit! The trick for me was to not exceed the amount recommended of jam inside each cookie, and to give a little "pinch" to the dough when I folded it over, so it wouldn't separate during baking. Also, the dust of powdered sugar after baking is essential. Wonderful recipe. Thank you!
I used to work at a bakery and we made these in apricot and raspberry. I cut them into 2 x 2 sqaures, use a pastry bag filled with jam to place it on the dough instead of a spoon. Then fold them in half so one corner overlaps the opposite corner, and use my finger to pinch the dough together so they don't come apart. I think chilling the dough for only 15-20 minutes works best, as it is too stiff to seal.
The cookies were very nice and flakey. I added a splash of vanilla to the dough and used raspberry jam because that's all I had. Before baking I sprinkled on a little white sugar and they were the perfect sweetness. The only thing is that the jam did run all over the place. Thank goodness for parchment. I may try this recipe for thumbprints since the jam is sure to stay where it belongs and I really did enoy the dough. ETA: Thumbprints don't work but empanadas do! I use a round cookie cutter and then put a blob of jam in the middle. I folded it in half and used a fork all the way around to seal it. Roll it in sugar or cinnamon sugar depending on your jam flavour before baking. Cinnamon sugar tastes good with apricot jam.
Great as a pie crust recipe. Not like any kolachy I have ever had. More like tiny folded over pies. DO NOT USE SMUCKERS ALL FRUIT! It ran out of the crust, made a mess and the whole batch had to be tossed due to almost no fruit inside..
I been making this for years and they go fast. I also use this recipe to make a pasty just have to bake for 30 in. Roll it out like a pasty and put your jam on it and fold it over. I use a pizza cuter to cut my pasty
The Jam Kolaches were one of the easiest things I've ever made. The jam wrapper was really very flakey. I will definitely be making these again. Thank you Karen Wood!
I love the way these look on the cookie tray! There was definitely a learning curve on my technique however. But by the end of the process I figured it out. I experimented by using butter flavor Crisco instead of my usual unsalted butter and that could be the reason I'm not in love with the taste of these. I used confectioners sugar to roll out and even after sprinkling them with more, the dough is still not sweet enough for me. I may try again with real butter.
This is the recipe I have been looking for. Made them exactly as directed and they were wonderful. I did use a combination of flour and powdered sugar to roll out the dough. I do have a Kitchen Aid mixer so mixing the dough was easy.
My mom was from Czechoslovakia and this recipe is very similar to hers. We always filled them with a mixture of walnuts, melted butter and a small amount of sugar. Another difference is that we rolled them using powdered sugar instead of flour to keep them from sticking to the bakers mat. This last Christmas I experimented and used some dried cherries, apricots and plums in the center and they were terrific.
these turned out perfectly; very flaky and delicate. I found that if you don't want to use jam or pie filling, preserves work wonderfully. You get the fruit that you would get in pie filling, & it stays in the cookie far better than jam or jelly. I made my cookies a bit larger than they said, and I was able to put 1/2 a tsp of preserves in each cookie without runout.
i thought these were easy to make and everyone loves them. I make them for holidays. it seems AUNTBUG has a difficult time with alot of recipes.
I really like the simplicity of this recipe. As is, it is quite delicious. However, I did make a few changes to the dough to add a little more flavor. I doubled the recipe for starters(the amount of cookies this makes would last about 5 seconds in my house.) Then I added about 4 tbsps of sugar and grated zest of 1 lemon. I chilled the dough for an hour as other reviewers have suggested and after rolling I cut 2 1/2" squares. For the filling I used homemade black currant preserves. To solve the jam leaking problem; I mixed some tapioca flour into the preserves to thicken it. I also made a little dent with my fingers in the center of the square before putting on the jam. For the first batch I didn't use water to seal the corners closed so a lot of them opened. So for the second batch I did use the water and it seemed to work very well :). They turned out great! The lemon and black currant go really well together. Delicious
The cookie part of this is terrific! I wanted to use up some jam (not a fan of it on toast), so I made these. They were really easy and quick, although I need to work on presentation. I'll make them again.
Followed the recipe exactly as it says. Easy to prepare, although I also had trouble with the filling melting out during baking. I used red currant jam. After the cookies cooled, I stored in a zip lock baggie. Because of the way the jam melted, I did not include in our cookie tray and kind of forgot about them. Several days later, I found the bag, tried one and LOVED IT!! The texture was perfect and taste was incredible. I am so glad I didn't use them in the cookie trays since it left them all for me, lol. Most definitely making again, and as far as the melted jam, it's ok. It left the right amount in the cookie and it wasn't too sweet or gooey.
This is a simple recipe that turns out pretty darn good. I do recommend using less flour, though; otherwise the dough pills instead of blends. The dough was also too thick for my hand mixer to handle. To make it simpler, I rolled the dough into balls, then flattened the balls into round shapes in my hands. (I think rolling dough on a flat surface is too fussy.) This worked just fine. I also used pie filling, and one small can was enough for 4 batches! You only need a little filling.
These cookies are known as pitky pronounced(pit-key)in my house. This is simlar to my grandmothers recipe, to help the dough from sticking to the counter, mix half cup flour and half cup sugar when rolling out and cutting, and it is best to refridgerate the dough over night.
My favorite Christmas cookie recipe. I love to use the Solo almond filling (not paste), it's the best!
Followed directions to a "T", but I did not care for these; used strawberry jam for the filling and by 10 mins. baking time, it had oozed all over the cookie sheet and out of the cookies; I doubt I even used a 1/4 teaspoon of filling, either.
This is a fantastic recipe and everyone loved the cookies. You have to make sure you really pinch the dough together or they will unravel while they bake.
Tip: For Christmas...instead of overlapping the dough to the center, try pinching it more to one side, this creates sort of a bell shape and with a red jam in it it looks like a Christmas bell.
I did not care for this recipe. The dough is very delicate and moist, but bland, maybe if there was some sugar in the dough it would be better. Won't be making these again anytime soon.
I love the taste of these cookies, but try as I might I could not get them to stay folded over. I tried pinching them together as well as dampening one edge before folding. I ended up making some of them look like little turnovers. That method worked best but not perfectly. Next time I might use the recipe to make thumb print cookies. Does anyone have any suggestions for me that would help make my cookies come out like the one in the photo?
Tender, delicious... simple & SO good! We have eaten the first batch & are waiting for the second to come out of the oven! I found that the jam stays in the cookie when the dough has been refrigerated for 1 hour & tolled thin. Work with 1/2 at a time, keeping the other 1/2 refrigerated. Thank you for sharing the recipe! This will be a favorite for years to come!
Unbelievably easy and very delicious- used a heart shape cutter and folded the heart, excellent
These are one of my favorites. My co-workers love them too. One said they are just like his Polish grandmother used to make. Another said they were just like the ones his mother used to make in Romania (although she cut them into squares instead of circles). I suggest using tangier preserves like red currant, another tip from my Romanian friend.
These kolaches are good but you really, really need to use Solo fillings and not jam. The jam runs out in the oven, collects around the edge of the kolach, hardens and doesn't look too pretty. 2" circles make really small ones, I used 2.5" and it was still too small. Will make these again and make them bigger. The dough has a nice taste.
I found the recipe quite easy and the cookies are very tasty. I would be inclined to add just a little honey to the dough to give it a little more sweetness. The only bad thing I have to say about the recipe is that I couldn't get the cookies to stay curled up together, they just came apart. Next time I will just do them into a thumb print cookie.
These cookies were a nice and light addition to my cookie buffet. The only thing I would add it a little bit of sugar (not much though) to the dough just to add some sweetness.
Fantastic! I used Brummel & Brown (its what I had on hand). Even the ones that decided to not stay shut were excellent. Great & easy recipe. A nice way to use up all the leftover jams or tiny jars of jam that come in cheese & sausage gift packs.
Wonderful! Outstanding flavor, texture and presentation. I use a gourmet peach jam and have no problem with the filling running. I also added a tiny bit of almond extract. The few that I made for my children with basic strawberry jam did not turn out as well. Great idea below to cut these square with a cookie cutter. I think that will save time and allow me to make another batch before Christmas!
These were amazing!! These are Polish cookies, and my dad who is from Poland loved these, because they weren't as sweet as all the other cookies I make. He never actually said if he liked them or not, but he ate them all the time and had the most out of any of us so I think they're approved. Great recipe! Just don't put too much jam on them or it'll spill out while baking and burn.
Wow! These turned out great! The dough was moist to roll too. Didn't have cream cheese on hand so substituted it with plain Greek yogurt. All the same stuff :) since every oven is different mine took a few extra minutes. I think anybody could make this. It was very easy!!! Even being 13. Since the actual cookie is pretty bland I added some vanilla to the dough while mixing. Tip: I didn't measure the jam for each kolache but don't put too much or it will melt out and might stick to the sheet.
Delicious and easy. I roll out the dough and cut up and down and sideways so the dough is cut into 2 inch squares. Put a little filling in the middle of each square. Pinch 2 corners of each square together and push down into filling a little. Now just place them on a cookie sheet and bake. You'll be done in no time, and no wasted dough. They are much easier to store too. Takes a little practice to pinch them just right, but if they come undone, that's ok too.
Tasted good but they didn't stay closed during baking. Way too ugly to share outside of immediate family. Maybe a larger cookie cutter than the recommended 2 inch circle would help.
I made those for Christmas and they came out great. I used Solo canned fruit jam to fill them so the jam doesn't bake or drip out. This is definitely the way to go. My sister added some sugar to the dough because she likes the dough a little sweeter but I keep it as is since the jam adds all the necesary sugar for me.
Better than the bakery! I usually have all the ingredients in my kitchen, so these are perfect for last minute baking. If the jam is seeping out, you may be using too much. I always measure 1/4 t. precisely for each cookie.
Finally found a recipe thatt taste like Mom use to make. Her recipe was lost and I had almost given up finding one. I used a square cookie cutter and a little egg white to seal cookies.
I tried making this recipe twice. Both times my dough was so sticky that it was impossible to roll out. It stuck to everything! Maybe I am doing something wrong, but I tried twice and got the same result both times. I was very disappointed because I was REALLY looking forward to making these.
Very dissapointed with this recipe. The dough didn't roll out whatsoever. I ended up having to form the dough into mini muffin tins, and even then the kolaches fell apart when you tried to get them out of the pan. I wasted a nice jar of authentic danish cherry jam on these...such a shame.
Just made these with a couple friends, and I love how easy they are to make. Leaves a lot open to adjust flavors for the filling, and the dough is simple, great for new cooks just learning how to bake. We made these with homemade strawberry jam and came out great. Currently sending the recipe to my parents to play with. Thanks for the share!
These are fantastic. They taste more like a cookie than a pastry though. If you are looking for the fluffy kind from the bakery, these are not it.
my grandmother makes kolaches and this was a bland recipe that was hardly authentic. i am going to stick with hers, even if it takes a bit longer to prepare.
I remember this being in a WOMAN'S DAY or FAMILY CIRCLE magazine in thelate 1950's or early 1960's. MoM always made these and I still do. They're wonderful.
We love these. My husband and nephew filled them and folded them into little pockets, like pierogis so the jam didn't bake out. These are very similar the to the polish cookies my husband's grandmother makes.
These were a big hit as part of our traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. We used homemade jam (we call it Autumn Harvest, made with pears and carrots) which definitely helped, but the crust itself was so light and flaky that it made a perfect light dessert after a heavy Polish meal. My only advice is don't skimp on the jam filling.
Being Polish, I have been wanting to try this recipe for a while. I remember a Polish woman making something similar, but hers were just a small circle (no overlapping) with jam in the circumference indentation (going to try that another time). I chilled the dough overnight, but I'm sure a few hours would be good. I rolled them into 1" balls (to save time and trouble), made an indentation and put the jam in. Some I made with raspberry jam, others with orange marmalade. I tried one after baking for about 12 min. and found it was not cooked to my liking inside (and my oven runs hot). I just threw it back in for another few minutess. I dusted with powdered sugar and look forward to having with a cup of tea later! NOTE: I only got about 19 making them into 1" balls.
This was a recipe i had got from my grandmother and had made only once and never wrote it down. Very easy, delicious and traditional for Polish families. Thanks for posting this recipe =)
I make these cookies all the time. Its incredibly easy and quick to throw together.
Made this for Halloween last year. Put orange food coloring in the dough in order to make it more appropriate for the party. Everyone from old and young loved them. I did have trouble keeping the jelly in so I made them into mini-empanadas basically in the shape of pumpkins. Everyone loved the buttery flaky pastry. Huge hit and the hostess is requesting them again for this year. Thank for helping me appear to be a great baker!!!!
Overall, a decent cookie. The dough wouldn't stay together while it baked, so I just folded them in half, perogy style. I wouldn't make these for Christmas (which was my original plan) b/c they lack the "WoW" factor I feel Christmas cookies should have. We ate them just to get rid of them.
This really worked out well for me! Thanks for users posts and advice on using butter!
Also easier to cut in circles and thumbprint the middle and fill with solo filling....great fun for kids to do..spent my childhood helping my mom make these that way.
I made these and they were very well-received. Per other reviewers suggestions I chilled the dough before rolling and used solo raspberry filling instead of jam. After they were done, I sprinkled them with confectioners sugar to add a hint of sweetness and to dress them up a bit. The next time I make these I plan to add a hint of almond extract to the dough and to cut them into squares instead of circles as they squares would be a LOT easier to work with. My cookies looked far less than perfect, but I think that with more practice they could look very pretty.
Made these for Christmas.....a lot of work to yield not many cookies, with a just OK flavor
Wonderful recipe! I had lost the version handed down to me and was thrilled to see this printed.
Tasty and incredibly easy to make. Would have liked more flavor in the cookie. Maybe more cream cheese.
I had such high expectations for these but I found them lacking in flavor. I'm not sure what was missing but they are not how I remember grandma's cookies. I will look for another recipe to try or for ideas to add to this one. Too bland.
I have made this for several occasions, substituting cherry pie filling for the jam, and they are the first cookies to be devoured--everyone always wants more.
Dough was sticky and difficult to work with. Ended up tasting like bad shortbread. I think there needs to be a little sugar and salt in the dough. I came across a similar recipe in my grandmother's recipe collection that had the same ingredients and proportions but had sugar and salt as well- so will try that next. Might try Solo filling next time as well. Just wishing they had more flavor!
This is a great and easy recipie! Kolaches were a family tradition until my grandmother passed and now with this easy recipie I can carry it on. These cookies saved christmas for my family.
The best way to close the cookie is to pinch both opposite ends together with a little water then fold over this keeps cookie from opening
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I've been making it for a few years thanks to you. My friends and family enjoy this recipe very much, I even made them for a class project back in high school. These were my grandma's favorite and it's definitely a tradition to make these every Christmas. I always add more jam, some does bake out but there's always a lot left in there. I don't think I've ever measured it to judge the recipe on that, I just love strawberry. I use Smuckers strawberry jam, it's fantastic! I probably should make my circles a little bigger but it works, occasionally a few open but it gives me an excuse to eat them! I use measuring cups to cut my circles out because I didn't have a circle cookie cutter and before I had a rolling pin, I just used a cup. For those of you reading reviews before making this recipe, it's honestly the best. I refuse to buy kolaches from the store because I know mine are better. Slightly time consuming, but that's probably because I multiple the recipe by 5! ;) Like any dough, be cautious of how much you "lightly flour" your working surface and work old dough into new dough. This time I worked on wax paper (with a little flour, and I flour my rolling pin, it worked great and very little clean up.) Merry Christmas everyone!
These are a very traditional eastern European cookie. My family is Hungarian and we make these as well. This is a great recipe because the dough is not to sweet. I love these and make them every Christmas. I recommend Solo filling as well. This is a wonderful recipe, so good I always double it. Thanks
I made these for my polish in-laws at christmas. I did raspberry and apricot. They loved them, and have asked that I make them at christmas every year.
Several keys to keeping them closed: roll the dough fairly thin (just thick enough that you can pick them up without tearing), then after you make the first fold, don't be afraid to pinch/push the top fold into the dough under it. A little water on the dough at the meeting point helps too. The biggest thing that makes them pop open is thick dough. Also, Solo brand filling wont run or burn. Dusting with powdered sugar sweetens them up nicely if you like that.
eatable, but mostly tasted like a biscuit with jelly, very small cookie and did not stay closed when baking.
I got rave reviews on these cookies. They were awsome, and easy to put together.
Fantastic cookie! Extra powdered sugar helps.. cookie dough is also makes an incredible pie crust!
That is a good recipe except try using Solo fillings It is so much better. The apricot is awesome.
Delicious. This was the first time I had to make them since my grandmother passed away. They reminded me of hers exactly. Here what I noticed: -Cold dough is MUCH easier to deal with -Make sure there is plenty of flour underneath your dough -Make sure to leave jam in the center instead of pushing it all out to the edges look nice. There is more dough in the center after folding, so you need to keep more jam there to distribute flavor evenly. -I used leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce and thickened it with some orange marmalade. The flavor was great (thicker jams might look better though).
Being rushed this year to get my baking done I rolled this dough out into a 10" by 20" square and then cut into 2x2" squares. This worked perfectly and is most likely faster than cutting circles.
I thought the dough was very sticky to work with. The jams/jellies I used were probably not top quality, I read the reviews afterwards. Also, I agree with other reviewers that said they were not quite sweet enough. Thanks for letting me try a different kolache recipe! Also, I made round kolaches instead of the fold-over method. Tried to make a cream cheese filling but that was kind of redunant because the dough has cream cheese in it. Definitely needs a very sweet jelly or jam to off-set the lack of sugar in the dough.
I made these yesterdayl. Very easy to make and very tasty. Not too sweet. My Polish heritage.
