Jam Filled Cream Cheese Cookies (Kolacky)
Tender cream cheese dough folded around a spoonful of jam. The dough splits neatly in two, so you can freeze half and bake a sheet at a time.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups flour
Filling
- 1 cup jam, jelly or preserves, microwaved 45 seconds to 1 minute then cooled
Method
- Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Add the salt and flour and mix.
- Split the dough in 2 parts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or up to a couple of days.
- Microwave your jam, jelly or preserves for 45 seconds to 1 minute, then let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. You can use powdered sugar instead of flour to dust the rolling pin and pastry board.
- Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares and move them to an ungreased cookie sheet or one lined with a silicone mat. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of jam to the center and pinch the opposite corners together. Pinch the ends together, then fold over and pinch again so they do not open as they bake.
- For pieces that are not square, make "canoes." Or roll the scraps into large marble sizes, press down slightly to flatten, indent with your thumbprint and fill the imprint with jam.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, depending on how thin you rolled the dough and how crispy you like your cookies. Let the cookies cool, then lightly dust with confectioner's sugar.
I have been a jam/jelly making fiend this summer. I have enough jam to last me through the winter!
I was craving some jam-type cookie so it was time to make some Kolacky.
I usually make a full batch of the dough, split it in 2 parts and keep 1 in the freezer and bake 1 sheet of cookies at a time (1/4 of the dough).
Jam filled Cream Cheese Cookies (Kolacky Cookies)
Makes approx. 8 dozen
Filling: 1 cup of jam/jelly/preserves microwaved for 45 seconds-1 minute
- Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until mix in completely. Add flour.
- Split the dough in 2 parts, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or a couple of days.
When ready to make cookies:
- Microwave your jam/jelly/preserves for 45 seconds to 1 minute then let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Roll out out dough until about 1/8 inch thick. You can use powdered sugar instead of flour to dust the rolling pin and pastry board.
- Cut into 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch squares. Move squares to an ungreased cookie sheet or cookie sheet with silpat. Add approx. 1/4-1/2 tsp of jam to the center and pinch the opposite corners together (see image above).
- Be sure to pinch the ends together, then fold over and pinch again to make sure they do not open as they bake.
- If you have pieces that are not squares you can make canoes (see picture below).
- Or you can take the scraps, roll them into large marble sizes, then press down slightly to flatten and indent with your thumbprint. Fill the imprint with jam.
Bake for 11-13 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out the dough and how crispy you like your cookies. Let cookies cool then light dust with confectioner’s sugar.
Woo hoo!! Thank you!!
Oh Boy! Wonderful tasting Cookies. A couple of years back I made these jam filled cookies for the christmas holidays. I had since lost the recipe. I am grateful to have found this recipe.
Just as a note, I used preserves instead of jam. It didn’t “run” as much.
These look great. How long can you freeze the dough and how long does it take to thaw? Thanks for a new recipe.
Just made these and they taste great, but some of them opened up so I’m thinking dough needs to be thinner and need to really pinch them.
How much cream cheese, 3oz,4oz, or 8oz?
8 oz
Did you ever get an answer about how much cream cheese? Is it the 8 oz pkg?
The 8 oz 🙂
Oh my…little bits of Heaven! Didn’t turn out so perfect to the eye, but after sprinkling them with powdered sugar, they ended up looking nice and old-fashioned!
I used Apricot preserves, rolled them thin as I could, and they tasted awesome! A bit caramelized and just the right crispiness. A great treat to add to the Holidays, thank you!!
I love these. They are my favorite cookie… but they MUST be eaten frozen!!!
Just what I was looking for! My Mama (Austrian) used to make these. Thanks for posting the recipe.