Kolaczki cookies

9 Dec 2024 #1

Good day all, New to the forum, I want to make traditional kolaczki cookies for Christmas. I have some of my great grandmothers recipes but they are in Polish. Everyone has passed in my family that could have translated them. Since I am 63 and the recipe is from 1960. Before I was born but mom was pregnant with me. But I do remember all my aunts, mom grandma and great grandma would fill the kitchen baking and cooking for weeks. Most would speak Polish and as a kid with my 3 sisters and I couldn't understand them. LOL Also as we all know when mom and everyone was busy in the kitchen kids were told to go play. lol I remember the smells of baked goods till this day. So I bake Christmas cookies now but never did kolaczki's. This year I want to. Everyone recipe I see seems to be a modern one with cream cheese. I feel they didn't use cream cheese back then. I did find one with potato water and yeast cakes in the book I have "Treasured Polish Recipes" . If I could have my great grandmothers recipes translated I would see how they are. Thank you all in advance

CharlesS

Atch 22 | 4341

9 Dec 2024 #2

You could type your g-grandma's recipe into Google Translate:

I'm not Polish but I checked the history of the recipe and it seems that centuries ago they were made without cheese. So it's possible that your family recipe is a very old one.

"Originally, Kolaczki were made with a yeasted dough filled with sweet ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, or honey. Over time, the recipe evolved, and the yeasted dough was replaced with a more tender and delicate pastry dough, similar to a shortbread or cream cheese dough"

The Czech 'kolache' dough is made with yeast and without the cheese.

3 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 and ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
⅔ stick unsalted butter
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla paste optional