Cream cheese dough filled with jam or nut fillings. They are most often claimed by Poland (or people of Polish descent) but also Central European countries such as Hungary, where they are called Kifli. See alternate spellings and variations, below. *
Ingredients
- For the dough:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 pound butter, softened
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
- For the Nut Filling:
1 pound ground walnuts
2 cups sugar
water
- Other fillings:
raspberry jam
strawberry jam
apricot jam
almond paste
Directions
- Make the dough:
- Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add flour gradually, until a soft dough ball has formed. Cover and chill overnight.
- Prepare the fillings:
- If using nut filling, combine nuts and sugar. Gradually add water until mixture forms a stiff paste. You can also use various jams or almond paste. It is nice to have a variety.
- Assemble and bake cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured board, roll out small sections of dough. (Keep remaining dough chilled.) Cut dough into squares roughly 2 x 2 inches. Place filling in center and bring opposite corners together in the center of the filling (pictured). Alternately, place filling on one corner of the pastry and roll it up into a roll, then seal the edge with egg white. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
- Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar (not pictured).
Notes
- Alternate spellings: “Polish Cream Cheese Cookies”, Kolache, kolačky, kolachy, kolacky, and in Hungary, Kiffles and Kifli (and “Hungarian Walnut Cookies”). The differences are slight (different filling, different shape, same basic unsweetened dairy-based dough with a filling). These are popular in many Central European countries and spellings differ between countries and among various regions where people of Central European descent have settled.
Russian/Ukrainian Kolachkis are nearly identical except they are usually rolled into logs, often then bent into a crescent.
The Czech and Slovak republics also have a similar pastry called a “Kolache” as well, which can be confusing, but it is round with a yeast dough. - Photo from Kurman Communications / CC.
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