Easy Kolacky...

This time of year I find myself giving a lot of recipes a test run to see if it's something that I want to try to make over the holidays.  I've been seeing these Kolacky (also written Koloche) pop up here and there and finally decided that I needed to give them a go.  There are two ways to go with Kolacky, the hard way (involving a yeast dough and lots of time) or the easy way, which of course I went with.  This recipe can be found on Epicurious. Wouldn't these be pretty made with raspberry and apricot and spread out on a platter like a flower?

Kolacky

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• About 3/4 cup thick jam or nut filling
• 
  

Beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the flour until mixed in. The dough will be soft and sticky.

Divide the dough in to two or three flat patties and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Dust work surface with flour or confectioners' sugar. (I like to roll out dough in between waxed paper because I'm not that good at it, YET!) Roll out the dough into a square or rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

Put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each square. Pull 2 opposite corners of the square into the middle, and pinch the edges together to seal. Make sure  you pinch both "points" in the fold or your fold will come undone during cooking. 

Space them about 1 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes (mine took closer to 20 because I didn't roll them out thin enough). Let cool on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Dust the tops with sifted confectioners' sugar while still warm, then let cool completely (or if you are like me and forget this step you can always do it when they are cooled, who's going to know?).