The German Makes a Polish Cookie

Friends of mine whose ancestors are Polish, asked if I could make some Kolackys for them. They were at every bakery in their neighborhood in Chicago but since moving to the prairie, they have been Kolackyless.

At their request I made one recipe with apricot jam and one recipe with cream cheese.
Once baked, they're finished with a shower of powdered sugar. THAT was a must, they said.
They're not a hard cookie and made a nice presentation in some of my silver trays.
When they tasted the first one -- they said I "nailed" it. I felt good.

It truly is an easy cookie to make and often one has all the ingredients on hand. I think they would be a good cookie for afternoon tea.

Prairie Kolackys

6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
2 cups flour
Jam of your choice
Cream cheese filling
Powdered sugar

Combine butter, cream cheese and flour. Divide dough in half and chill.

Roll out with rolling pin about 1/4 inch thick.

I cut the cookies out with my 3 inch Ina scone cutter.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Top with 1/2 teaspoon apricot jam and bring sides up and pinch so that the filling is enclosed and the cookies are more of a rectangle.

Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes or until jam bubbles and the cookies are very lightly browned on the bottom.

When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes about 4 dozen.

NOTE: For the cheese filling, I made a half recipe of Ina's filling for her cheese danish. It was perfect!