Grandpa’s Hungarian Kolacky

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, softened

2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour 

Assorted baking jelly or pie filling (my favorites are apricot, poppy seed, almond, and raspberry)

Powdered sugar

 

Directions:

1. Combine butter and cream cheese completely, add flour and mix well.
2. Divide dough into 4 balls; wrap each in plastic wrap and chill 24 hours.
3. Roll out each ball (on floured surface) to 1/8". (Be sure to keep them thin, as this keeps them "light!")
4. Cut out silver-dollar sized cookies; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Drop 1/2 teaspoon jelly in center of each cookie and bake at 350* for 7-8 min. (Just until edges begin to brown.) I always bake the cookies flat; however, the edges may be pinched or rolled together as well!
6. Lightly sift powdered sugar over cookies and serve.

Recipe Source: http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=133768&u=http://www.recipezaar.com/76441

Kolaches, Polish Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
About 1 cup fruit preserves
Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 400°. Combine sour cream and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside until slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in egg until smooth. Set aside.
2. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in sour-cream mixture until dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Make a depression in center of each cookie. Fill each depression with 1 teaspoon preserves. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on pans for about 5 minutes; remove cookies to a rack to cool. While cookies are still warm, drizzle with sugar glaze.

Sugar Glaze for Kolachkes:
Makes about 3/4 cup

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk

Combine sugar and butter. Add corn syrup, stirring to combine. Drizzle in milk a little at a time until the glaze has a runny consistency.

Recipe Source: http://thefoodees.blogspot.com/2007/12/kolachkes-polish-cookies.html