Cookies

Kolaczki

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One of my favorite cookies, especially around the holidays! My mom’s side of the family is polish so we have always had these.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 3 cups pastry flour
  • 2 cups jam of your choosing
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, flour and cream cheese until it is fluffy.
  2. On a well floured surface, roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for an hour.
  3. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out into a thin, flat piece. Cut the dough into even sized squares. Place jam in the center of each square. Fold the sides of the squares in, pinching the corners together.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until corners just start to brown.
  5. After they have completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

In the picture I used apricot jam, strawberry jam, and fig jam. I would say apricot and raspberry are the most popular. You can also make your own jam.

Cream cheese is a pretty popular filling too:

  • 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoom vanilla extract
  1. In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to fill pastries.

You can store these cookies in airtight containers with parchment paper in between the layers or in the fridge. I definitely like to put the cream cheese ones in the fridge.

What is also great about these cookies is you can customize them however you like. You can make them bigger or smaller. I always thought that there was never enough jam in these cookies so I loaded mine up. 😀

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies

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Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 oz. ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • kosher salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips, or more to taste
  • confectioner’s sugar for dusting
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld mixer on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs. Beat until smooth. Add ricotta and vanilla and beat to combine.
  3. Sift flour and baking powder into bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
  4. Drop cookies in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between cookies. Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through, until cookies are puffed and golden at the edges, about 18 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  5. Dust cookies with confectioner’s sugar before serving if desired.

I got this recipe from the newspaper! A lady named Lidia Bastianich.

I had to take these out right at 18 minutes. Any longer and the bottoms started browning. I also thought the suggested amount of mini chocolate chips was perfect.

Molasses Cookies

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter, 1 cup sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in molasses. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Blend the flour mixture into the molasses mixture. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

These are great and I personally don’t think they are overly sweet. They are always a hit at my job.

I use a cookie scoop to make the balls the same size. Mine started cracking right at 8 minutes and I took them out. I cooked some a couple minutes longer and they were overdone.