Description
Looking for a unique Christmas cookie that is not only delicious but a little fancy? You have to try my grandma’s Kolaczki Polish Christmas cookie recipe. My grandma was an avid baker and these notable star shaped cookies were always a family favorite. A slightly sweet cookie with a fruit jam filling topped with powdered sugar, these delicious cookies always remind me of my grandma. Add a chocolate drizzle and this traditional Polish recipe is the star of your holiday table.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Crisco (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 1/4 cup Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Powdered Sugar for topping
Fruit Filling
- 6 tbsp Raspberry Jam
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
Chocolate Drizzle
- 1/2 tbsp Crisco
- 1/2 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl whisk together the yeast and milk and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, Crisco, and sugar together until combined.
- Add in the vanilla and egg yolk and mix again.
- Slowly mix in half of the yeast mixture and half of the flour repeating until fully combined.
- Mix in the salt last once all the yeast mixture is fully combined. This is a thick dough very similar in consistency to pie crust.
- Roll up the dough into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dough can be made ahead of time and and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- After dough has chilled, roll out onto a lightly floured surface. This works best on a cold surface like stone countertops or a pastry board.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a 3 inch cookie cutter to cut out individual cookies for a star shape or a 2 inch cookie cutter for the fold over shape.
- Mix jam filling with cornstarch and spoon a small amount into the center of each cookie. About 1/2 tsp.
- Follow my detailed instructions above for folding cookie shapes and place cookie dough onto the cookie sheet before folding and filling.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cooking times may vary.
- While cookies are baking, melt chocolate chips with the Crisco in the microwave in 15 second intervals until chocolate is smooth.
- Add chocolate to a plastic bag or a piping bag and cut a very small hole in the end just before drizzling the cookies.
- Once the baked cookies have cooled for at least 15 minutes, top with sprinkled powdered sugar and a chocolate drizzle.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Chill Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Polish, Slovak, Eastern European
