Think of these cookies as a smaller version of a danish, with a heavenly cream cheese pastry and dollop of your favorite jam.
Until recently, I had never heard of a kolache.
For those who may be in a similar boat, kolache (pronounced kuh-‘laa-chee) comes from the Czech and Slovak word koláčky, meaning little cake or pie. It’s a type of pastry with a tender, pillowy dough and a fruity filling.
My first taste reminded me of a perfect little danish, with the perk of being able to choose your favorite filling. What sets the kolaches apart, however, is the dough.
There is cream cheese in the dough, which contributes a hint of tang along with a pillowy quality that makes the flaky pastry especially appealing. Interestingly, there is no sugar in the dough. The sweetness comes from the fruit filling and a light dusting of powered sugar upon serving.
The recipe was shared by Tricia Trainer, who entered the 2024 Fig Magazine/ Garden Spot Village holiday cookie contest, for which I had the very difficult job (wink, wink) of judging. Out of the many submissions, I was tasked with choosing the eight best recipes.
Tricia, in turn, learned this recipe from her grandmother, who “would have her entire kitchen running like a symphony orchestra concert with these Slovak kolaches occupying every surface when we visited.” And her grandmother always made Tricia’s cookies especially full of extra apricot filling and told her parents they weren’t to touch them. ☺️
Tricia mentioned that she is always asked to bring the kolaches, which are also referred to as “cold doughs,” when there is an event calling for cookies. And beyond their winning taste and texture, the unique shape and assorted fillings add visual appeal to a holiday cookie plate.
Tips for baking success:
- If using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt per stick of butter. So, if the making the full recipe with unsalted butter, you will want to add 1 teaspoon salt.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese have come to room temperature before using.
- Once mixed, the dough must be refrigerated for at least two hours.
- For advance prep: The dough may be refrigerated for several days. Well wrapped, it also freezes well for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- This recipe is easy to cut in half (or even quarter for a small batch), although the baked cookies do freeze well.
- Roll the dough to the thickness stated (¼”– ⅛” thick) and be sure to bake until you see some golden-brown color around the edges. This will ensure that the pastry is delightfully light and flaky and not at all doughy.
- Powdered sugar tends to “disappear,” so for best visual, it is best to dust with the sugar just before serving.
they don’t unfold during baking.
Of course, when you have a cookie contest, it’s important to recruit recipe testers AND taste testers!
What our taste testers said:
- I am not generally a fruit cookie person but loved having the kolaches with my cup of coffee for breakfast. A snack with tea would be nice too.
- The subtle tang from the cream cheese makes these cookies.
- The variety available in the jam fillings is great. A cream cheese filling would be so good too!
- From a prep perspective, these remind me of the sand tarts I grew up baking with my grandmother. The process of rolling, cutting, and decorating was a labor of love, and the cookies were a special tradition best shared with family and friends!
We’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated.
Slovak Kolache (Cold Doughs)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 cups (508 grams) all-purpose flour
For rolling:
- flour and powdered sugar
Filling:
- a variety of very thick pastry fillings like apricot, raspberry, pineapple, etc. (Tip: Solo brand fillings work as well as homemade and save time.)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, gently whisk the flour with a fork to “lighten” it. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy.
- Add flour in 6 additions, mixing only until incorporated. You should end up with a soft, pillowy dough.
- Divide into 4-6 equal discs, about ¾” thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator.
- Prepare rolling surface and rolling pin with a light dusting of a flour/powdered sugar combination.
- Roll the dough ¼”– ⅛” thick. Cut into 2-inch squares (a pizza cutter or serrated pastry cutter work well), rolling the scraps together and placing back in the fridge for later use.
- Place a dollop of filling (about ½-1 teaspoon) in the center of the dough square (it may not seem like enough, but it will be; you want just enough to see a little at either end once the dough is folded).
- Carefully lift opposite corners of the dough and fold one over the other, gently pressing to seal. (Tip: If the dough becomes difficult to lift as it sits (it softens as it warms), use a small metal spatula or butter knife to help lift and fold.) Continue until all the squares are filled and folded, then carefully transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cookies should be placed about 1 inch apart.
- Bake 12-14 minutes or until beginning to brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
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