This Polish recipe comes from The Gourmet Cookie Book, in which the editors deemed it the best cookie recipe of 2004.
It came to the magazine's attention thanks to Frederika Schwanka, or Terryville, Connecticut, and won the editors' hearts through "the tenderness of the cream cheese pastry and the tanginess of the filling."
We like to think of it as a compromise between the complicated rugelach and humble thumbprint: It's got the tang and fluff of rugelach with the ease and informality of a thumbprint. A winning combination!
Looking to fill more cookies with jam? We've got you covered:
Recipe notes, from the book:
- For the best flavor, use California apricots.
- The dough is extremely tender; if at any time during the filling process it gets too soft to work with, chill it on wax paper on a large baking sheet.
- Leftover filling is wonderful spread on toast.
- Dust cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar if desired.
- The cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
For the pastry dough:
| 2 1/4 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 8 | ounces cream cheese, softened |
| 1 | cup unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 | large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water for egg wash |
| 2 1/4 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 8 | ounces cream cheese, softened |
| 1 | cup unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 | large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water for egg wash |
For the filling:
| 1 3/4 | cups (10 ounces) coursely chopped dried apricots |
| 1/2 | cup golden raisins |
| 2/3 | cup mild honey |
| 1/4 | cup sweet orange marmalade |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1 | cup water |
| 1 | dash Confectioners' sugar, for garnish |
| 1 3/4 | cups (10 ounces) coursely chopped dried apricots |
| 1/2 | cup golden raisins |
| 2/3 | cup mild honey |
| 1/4 | cup sweet orange marmalade |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1 | cup water |
| 1 | dash Confectioners' sugar, for garnish |
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2 Comments
Emily
October 1, 2018
How do these not have their real name? They are kolacky cookies! I was taught by my mother and grandmother to make them with various jams, and you would cut them into squares & fold 2 of the corners over each other to make the cookie shape.
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