Apricot Polish Kolaczki Cookies Recipe

POSTED ON

November 3, 2022

These Polish Kolaczki Cookies are soft and fluffy with a delicious apricot filling perfect for the holidays. Not a fan of apricot? You can fill this traditional cookie with any filling you like!

Polish Kolaczki Apricot Filled Cookies On Parchment Paper

Apricot Polish Kolaczki Cookies

This Polish kolaczki cookies recipe uses a cream cheese pastry dough that will result in a pillowy and perfectly flaky pastry that can be filled with any filling you desire. When researching the history of kolaczki cookies I found that, like sugar cookies in Western Europe, most Eastern European countries have some version of these kolaczki cookies and use everything from apricots to raspberries or even chocolate spreads for the sweet filling.

How To Make Polish Kolaczki Cookies

Polish Kolaczki cookies are very simple to make, but do involve a few steps and overnight chilling of the pastry dough to get the desired texture and consistency.

Make The Dough

In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Next, slowly add the flour and salt to the mixer until well blended and a dough forms. Once a dough has formed remove the dough from the mixing bowl and roll it into a ball.

Chill The Dough

Next, wrap the dough in parchment paper and chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator (or for a minimum of 1 hour).

Make The Filling

While the dough is chilling make the apricot filling by combining apricots, 2 cups of water, honey, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium-high heat.

Bring the apricot filling mixture to a boil and then allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring consistently until apricots are soft.The goal is to get the apricots to soften so that they can easily be blended using a food processor.

Once the apricots have softened you can place the mixture in a food processor and pulse until a thick apricot jam/paste forms. Pour the filling into a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Roll Out The Dough

On a clean surface place some gluten free flour (to keep the dough from sticking) and then place the dough in the center. Knead the dough with your hands a few times to make it a little more malleable, and easier to work with.

Begin to roll out the dough using a rolling pin until it is about a 1/4 inch thick.

Next, cut out the dough into 2 inch squares using a cookie cutter or simply a knife and ruler. Repeat this process until all of your dough has been used.

Assemble Your Polish Kolaczki Cookies

Once all your squares have been cut, begin to place them on a cookie sheet and drop 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each square. Fold the opposite corners of each square to meet one another and envelope the filling. Pinch the fold slightly to secure each cookies.

Bake The Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once preheated, place the cookies in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the pastry begins to turn a slight golden brown color.

Once the cookies have baked they will still seem a little soft, this is okay, the pastry will harden up as it cools. Allow the cookies to fully cool before you sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes:

If you do decide to use a jam for the cookie filling, make sure you put just a small teaspoon in the center of the cookies as the jam will get much thinner and spread as the cookies are baking. I found when I used the apricot filling though that they didn’t run nearly as much as the jam did.

Polish Kolaczki Apricot Filled Cookies On Parchment Paper
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Polish Kolaczki Apricot Filled Cookies On Parchment Paper

Polish Kolaczki Cookies Recipe With Apricot Filling (Gluten Free)

  • Author: Megan Faletra
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 12 min
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 30 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

These Polish Kolaczki Cookies with apricot filling are gluten-free, and made by wrapping a pillowy pastry dough around a tangy apricot filling.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Cookies

  • 4 oz organic cream cheese
  • 1.5 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour)
  • 3/4 cup organic butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar for sprinkling

Filling

  • 1 1/2 cup dried apricots
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tsp lemon juice


Instructions

Cookies

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Slowly add the flour and salt to the mixer until well blended and a dough forms.
  • Remove dough from mixing bowl and roll into a ball.
  • Wrap in a piece of parchment paper and chill dough overnight in the refrigerator (or for a minimum of 1 hour).
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Once dough has chilled begin to roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.
  • Cut into 2 inch squares and place about 1 teaspoon of apricot jam into each center.
  • Overlap the opposite corners of the dough and pinch together.
  • Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely (they will feel soft when you immediately remove them from the oven but they will harden up) before removing from baking sheet and then sprinkle with powdered sugar

Filling

  • To make the filling combine the apricots, 2 cups of water, honey, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium-high heat.
  • Bring mixture to a boil and then allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring consistently until apricots are soft.
  • Place mixture in a food processor and pulse until a thick apricot jam/paste forms.
  • Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Keywords: Kolaczki Cookies

Megan Faletra, MS, MPH, RDN

Megan Faletra, MS, MPH, RDN

Megan is a maternal-child health dietitian and mom of two. With nearly a decade of experience working in maternal-child nutrition both domestically and abroad, Megan is passionate about supporting mothers and their little ones through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

Megan especially loves helping to nourish families with simple, delicious recipes that both children and adults will enjoy. All of the recipes at MADRE are gluten free, and focused on celebrating food culture, seasonality, and supporting the nutritional needs of growing children, mothers, and families.

Megan holds a MS in Nutrition and MPH in Global Health from Tufts University, and received her dietetic license (RDN) from Brigham and Women's Hospital. She has advanced training in pediatric nutrition and baby led weaning, and is currently working towards becoming a certified lactation consultant.

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Mom of two girls under two, and registered dietitian specializing in prenatal, postpartum, and infant wellness. My passion for supporting moms and babies began more than a decade ago, but nothing made me more committed to helping moms and babies thrive than going through my own pregnancy and postpartum journey.

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