Best Aunt Annes Kolacky Recipes

CREAM CHEESE KOLACKY

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add flour slowly until well blended. Shape into a ball and chill overnight or for several hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Roll dough out 1/8 inch thick on a floured pastry board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares and place about 1/2 teaspoon jam or preserves in the center. Overlap opposite corners and pinch together. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle kolacky lightly with confectioner's sugar.

KOLACHKY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter until well blended. I like to use my hands, but you can also use a wooden spoon. Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. As the dough becomes stiff, turn it out onto the counter and knead in flour until it is no longer sticky. Continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Crush the walnuts to a fine consistency in a food processor. Stir in the egg and honey. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3x3 inch squares. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Use walnut for some and poppyseed for the rest. Roll the squares up and seal the edges. These can also be formed into triangles. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Brush with egg white.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.

QUICK KOLACKY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, butter or margarine, sugar, sour cream and eggs. Knead until dough is smooth.
• Sprinkle a work surface generously with confectioners' sugar. Roll dough out over the confectioners' sugar to 1/4 inch thick, adding more as needed. Cut out into 3 inch squares and fill with nut, poppyseed or prune filling.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

GRANDMA'S KOLACKY COOKIES

Steps:

• Cut butter into flour with two forks to resemble small peas, as you would pie crust. Stir in sour cream with serving spoon and mix well.
• Form into 2 balls and store, covered, in refrigerator to chill. Taking out one ball at a time, dust each with flour and roll on floured surface to approximately 1/8 thickness. (Note: If dough starts tearing, it may need more flour or to be chilled a bit more.).
• Cut with larger round cookie cutter or coffee cup, Fill center with approximately 1-2 teaspoons Solo, Bring up each side and pinch to close.
• Bake at 350 dg. for 12-15 minutes, until bottiom of cookie is just beginning to brown. Cool on wire racks then dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

EASY KOLACKY

Steps:

• Place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl; beat with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar into the butter mixture. Slowly beat in the flour; mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• On a well floured board, roll out chilled dough to 1/8 inch. Use a pizza wheel to cut dough into 2 1/2 inch squares. Spoon approximately 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each square; do not overfill. Fold opposite corners of each square into the middle to encase dough, pinching dough together in center. Filling should peek out a little at each end. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake the kolacky in the preheated oven until set but not brown, about 12 minutes. Remove to racks to cool. Dust cooled kolacky with remaining powdered sugar.

SOPHIE'S KOLACKY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut butter into cream cheese.
• In a small bowl, sift dry ingredients together except for confectioners' sugar.
• Work dry ingredients into butter/cream cheese mixture until you have an even, mealy texture.
• Knead to form a stiff dough. If the dough gets too soft, refrigerate for about five minutes before continuing.
• Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut into about 3 inch diameter cookies. Keep re-rolling dough until you have used it all. Use your thumb to make a depression in each cookie. Place a 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the depression.
• Bake for about 20 minutes (until lightly golden). Let cool on a cookie rack. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container

KOLACHKY

Steps:

• In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, or in a bowl using a hand-held beater, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until well blended. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• On a work surface sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working in 4 batches, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out small rounds and transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
• Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in each cookie. Fill each indentation with the filling of your choice.
• Chill the cookies while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies until lightly browned, about 15 to 17 minutes.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar before you serve.

AUNT ANNE'S KOLACKY

Steps:

• 1. Soften yeast in sour cream and beaten egg YOLK. Mix well. Set aside.
• 2. Work butter into flour with pasty blender or fork until it resembles small peas. (Sometimes I rub this mixture between my bare palms)
• 3. Add yeast mixture. Mix well with flour mixture.
• 4. Refrigerate the dough, covered, until it is quite firm.
• 5. Prepare filling(s). You can use a SOLO brand filling (usually with pie fillings in the supermarket) or make your own. Prune, apricot, and poppy seed fillings are probably the most traditional. I will include directions for making filling, but I usually use SOLO poppy seed. However, I love the Cherry and Pineapple fillings below, but I am not Czech.
• 6. Optional: Make your own Poppy Seed Filling True Confessions: I have not made this filling! Combine 2 cups poppy seeds, 1/2 sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon butter and 1/2 cup corn syrup in a sauce pan. Cook about 5 minutes until thick.
• 7. Optional: Make your own Prune filling Another true confession: I haven't made this filling either, but it sounds good! Combined 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped,1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped, 1/4 cup raisins, finely chopped, 1/2 orange, washed and finely chopped (peel and all) and 1/4 cup sugar in a sauce pan. Cover the fruit with hot water or black tea to cover the fruit. Simmer all the ingredients until the liquid is absorbed, the fruit is soft and the mixture is quite thick, about 30 to 35 minutes. If the fruit still isn't soft, add more water and continue to cook until it is soft. (I am guessing I would add a bit more sugar.)
• 8. Optional: Make your own Cherry Filling I've made it and like it! :-) Drain 1 can pitted sour cherries and cut the cherries into small pieces with kitchen shears. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 6 Tbsp cornstarch in pan. Add cherry juice from drained cherries and 1 teaspoon red food coloring. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from heat and add cut-up cherries.
• 9. Optional: Make your own Pineapple Filling I've made it and like it! Drain a #2 can of pineapple; grind the fruit in a food processor. Mix 3 Tbs. cornstarch with the juice. Add the fruit to the juice and cook until hot and bubbly. Add sugar to taste.
• 10. Prepare streusel topping if using. (Some like the added sweetness; others think it makes the kolacky too sweet.) Mix ingredients together until crumbly. (Left over streusel makes a good topping for an individual cobbler. Just top some raw or canned fruit and bake.)
• 11. When you are ready to bake the kolacky, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the chilled dough about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches). Place rounds on baking sheet. (I use a silicone mat on my baking sheets.)
• 12. Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in the middle of the round. Place a teaspoon or so of filling in the indentation and sprinkle with streusel topping if desired.
• 13. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until the kolacky bottom is just beginning to brown.
• 14. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. (Use a small sifter can for ease of dusting.) When I use the streusel, I skip the powdered sugar.

KOLACHKY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl blend margarine and cream cheese together, by hand with a metal spoon. Slowly add flour until it is all incorporated and a dough is formed. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight, or for several hours (until hard to the touch).
• Flour the countertop. Take a handful of dough out of bowl returning the unused portion to the refrigerator (continue this process until all mixture is used). Roll handful of dough out into an approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Take a 2 by 3-inch diamond shaped cookie cutter, and cut as many diamonds as possible (size of kolachky should be two bites, so the cutter cannot be large). Take leftover dough and roll out again, cutting more diamonds. Repeat until all the dough is used.
• Place the diamond cut out onto the palm of hand. Put a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of fruit filling (apricot or strawberry or raspberry or prune flavors) into the center of the diamond shape.
• Dip your finger in a little bit of water, put on one side of diamond. Fold lengthwise and seal the tops of the kolachky together to create a 3-dimensional diamond shape. Place on cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to12 minutes.
• DO NOT USE Super heat cookie sheets or any of the new non-stick coated cookie sheets. They will bake too quickly and burn the bottoms of the kolachky before you realize it. YOU MUST USE ANY KIND OF CHEAP COOKIE SHEETS usually bought at a grocery store. Cover the cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Do not grease the foil.
• Look at your kolachky every few minutes, while baking, as ovens vary in heat distribution. The later batches may cook faster than the first ones. Check the BOTTOMS of the kolachkys. They are done when the BOTTOMS are soft golden brown. The tops may not look done, but they ARE! Remove from oven, wait 3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. When ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

AUNTIE ANNE'S PRETZELS - COPYCAT

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic.
• Let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda.
• Be certain to stir often.
• After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape.
• Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again.
• Bake in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Toppings: After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.
• Or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
• Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously.
• Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.
• Notes: The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie Anne's they will be.

KOLACKY

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until mixed. The dough will be soft and sticky.
• 2. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a thick disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray cookie sheets.
• 4. Dust a pastry cloth or board with flour or confectioners' sugar. Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on the pastry cloth. Keep the remaining dough disk refrigerated. Roll out the dough into a square or rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.
• 5. Place 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. Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• 6. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. 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.

GRANDPA'S HUNGARIAN KOLACKY

Steps:

• Combine butter and cream cheese completely, add flour and mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 balls; wrap each in plastic wrap and chill 24 hours.
• Roll out each ball (on floured surface) to 1/8". (Be sure to keep them thin, as this keeps them "light!")
• Cut out silver-dollar sized cookies; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Drop 1/2 teaspoon jelly in center of each cookie and bake at 350* for 7-8 min. (Just until edges begin to brown.) I always bake the cookies flat; however, the edges may be pinched or rolled together as well!
• Lightly sift powdered sugar over cookies and serve.