Monday, December 31, 2007

Kolachkes, Polish Cookies


The last post of 2007, on-theme.
A cookie with one of the craziest recipes you'll ever see (it's a cookie?), but one of our favorites. One of us is half-Polish, so it's like family.
Makes about 4 dozen

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
About 1 cup fruit preserves
Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 400°. Combine sour cream and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside until slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in egg until smooth. Set aside.
2. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in sour-cream mixture until dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Make a depression in center of each cookie. Fill each depression with 1 teaspoon preserves. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on pans for about 5 minutes; remove cookies to a rack to cool. While cookies are still warm, drizzle with sugar glaze.

Sugar Glaze for Kolachkes
Makes about 3/4 cup
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk

Combine sugar and butter. Add corn syrup, stirring to combine. Drizzle in milk a little at a time until the glaze has a runny consistency.

Happy New Year!

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