Kolaczki are a famous Polish pastry.  I see them everywhere in Polish-American bakeries where their true simplicity and variety of flavors is displayed on overflowing trays dusted with powder sugar.  Their fan base keeps growing and I’m guessing it’s all because of the dough. The buttery dough is made with cream cheese which gives it that sweet and creamy flavor.  I’ve seen kolaczki in various shapes, but my favorite is what you see above.  Whenever I work with jam I am extra careful not to be too liberal with the jam because it can easily run off the edges of the pastry.  You end up with sloppy cookies and lots of scrubbing and washing.

I found the dough and the shape of the kolaczki to work collectively to save me from the spilled jam disaster we all dread. I was very nervous about the finish product because they were to be given to my dad as a Father’s Day gift. Turns out there is nothing to worry about because the dough comes together beautifully especially if you give it a proper rest in the refrigerator.

I always find it a challenge to buy gifts for my dad, but I knew about his love for Polish pastries so I though that a box of freshly baked kolaczki would be a prefect gift for him. I’m glad I made them because they not only put a smile on my dad’s face but also on everyone else who tried them. Happy Father’s Day!

Kolaczki (adopted from Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies)

Mix 2  1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tbsp. granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt together in a bowl of a stand mix fitted with the paddle attachment. Cut 2 sticks of cold unsalted butter into 16 pieces and add to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Cut 8 ounces of cold cream cheese into 1 inch cubes and add them to the bowl. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is damp and holds together when pressed with a finger, about 30-60 seconds. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead 2-3 times to incorporate any loose pieces. There should be large streaks of cream cheese throughout the dough. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Remove the dough from the fridge and wait until it is pliable. Roll into 9-by-11 inches and 1/8 inch thick. Trim the dough to even the edges. Cut dough crosswise into quarters and lengthwise into thirds to make 12 squares. Place a rounded teaspoon of your favorite jam (I used apricot and plum) into the center of each square. Have a small dish of water at hand. Pick two opposite ends of the dough, moisten the edge of one, overlap by 1/2 inch and press together. Transfer to buttered baking sheets, 1 1/2 inch apart. Brush the kolaczki with milk and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. granulated sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate pans halfway through baking time.