My family Kolacky recipe

I had a friend ask about this recipe, so instead of just emailing it to her, I thought I'd post it here, so anyone else who wanted it could have it. If you're unfamiliar with Kolacky (or Kolachy, or Kolachi), they are Polish/Slovak cookies. It can also be a roll (like a nut or fruit roll), but I prefer these small cookie versions.

This is from my Grandmother's Slovak-American cookbook (hubby bought me my own copy of the cookbook a few years ago). She has made many versions of these cookies over the years, but this is the one she favors, and is truly one of my favorite cookies.

Cream Cheese Kolacky

6 oz of cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
fruit or nut filling (I usually buy from the bakery at the grocery store... raspberry and apricot are traditional)

Cream butter and cream cheese togther. Sift flower with salt, sugar, and baking powder. Blend dry ingredients thoroughly with cheese mixture. Add beaten eggs. Sir until blended. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Pat or roll outdough on floured board to about 1/3 inch thickness. Cut with floured biscuit cutter, or cut with a pastry wheel into 2 inch squares. Place 1/2 teaspoon of desired fruit or nut filling in center of each square or round, and fold over, sealing the dough shut. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen


So that's the official recipe, per Grandma. I usually sprinkle sugar on the pastry board with the flour before I roll them out, so they have a light sugar dusting on the outside of the pastry. Also, when folding them over, I usually wet the the bottom flap and pinch the two layers together to hold them closed.


Just a note:
Grandma's Cookbook
The Anniversary Slovak-American Cookbook, Tylka Printing, Chicago, 1952.
AND
The picture I'm posting isn't mine... These are just what my cookies usually look like (on a good day). :) I got it from this webpage:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.polishpierogi.com/images/products/kolacky.jpg&imgrefurl=http://polishcatering.com/&usg=__T1Fejt2rbrwsyvOlW9Q9XIQRC0I=&h=1932&w=2576&sz=656&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=YYcWumkwz3HQfM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkolacky%2Bcookies%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

18 months old!

Well, it's been 6 months since my last post, and we haven't had tons of pictures of Avery lately, since I broke my camera last spring. Still, here are a few updates:

July: Took Avery to meet her cousins in Baltimore for the first time
August: Moved into our new apartment and Avery started "school"!
September: Lots of time spent with family. Grandpa made a great babysitter (and contributed lots of pictures)
October: Avery's second Halloween didn't go so well, and we didn't get any pictures, due to hatred of wearing a costume.

November: Spent Thanksgiving with Grammy

December: Had our first Christmas show at school!

So, here is a sampling of some of the pictures we HAVE accumulated over the last few months, in no special order.

End of November: 18 month picturesSeptember: Being babysat by Grandpa
July: at Philadelphia Zoo with Firefly friends
July: Cousin's birthday Party