Christmas Cookies

 (Grandma Kathy filling the Kolachky)

For the last few years before Christmas, my grandmothers, mom, and sister have met up for an evening to make my mother's favorite treat: Kolachky.  This is a traditional Bohemian cookie with a fruit filling.  The recipe my mom remembers as a kid involved a yeast dough, and the process of making the cookies took a day or two, and neither of my grandmothers are confident in making them, so we use a shortcut version that still tastes similar to the original.  We also have used a canned filling, but next year we are going to try making our own.

(Samantha and Grandma June adding the butter)

Original Recipe Here

KOLACHKY

2 eggs

6 tablespoons sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 lb butter, softened

4 1⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

24 ounces apricot (or raspberry, poppy seed, cream cheese, cherry, prune, pineapple, etc.) filling

powdered sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Beat cream cheese and butter.

Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and smooth.

Mix in salt and baking soda.

Add flour a little at a time while mixing; blend well. Dough should be soft but not sticky.

Roll out as for pie crust.

Cut into 2 inch squares.

Fill with apricot filling (or your choice of filling).

Fold 2 opposite corners together and pinch closed.

Bake in 350° oven 15-20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies (or 3 dozen if you make them jumbo, like we do)

Merry Christmas to all!