Strawberry Kolache Cookies

love4culinary's Note:

These cookies are absolutely beautiful. You can actually use whatever kind of preserves you wish, but make sure that they are PRESERVES. You will love the look of these beautiful cookies! Prep time doesn't include chill time. Cook time is for one batch.

• Total Time: 29 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 24.0 cookies

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter , softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (¼ ounce) package active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm milk (110 F)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup strawberry preserves
• 1 large egg , well beaten

Glaze

• 2⁄3; cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 ½ teaspoons milk

Directions:

1. First, Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, butter, sugar and salt.
3. With your hand mixer, beat the flour, butter, sugar and salt until it looks like coarse crumbs.
4. Dissolve yeast in your 1/2 cup warm milk in a small bowl.
5. Stir in 1 egg and vanilla.
6. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and then beat at low speed until mixed thoroughly.
7. Divide dough in half (you will have two chunks of dough), cover with wax paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. Remove from refrigerator and roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, one half at a time, to 1/8 - 1/4-inch thickness.
9. Cut dough into 3-inch squares, and then top each with 1 teaspoon of your strawberry preserves.
10. Bring up 2 opposite corners of each square to center and then pinch tightly to seal.
11. Place the finished cookie onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper placing them around 2-inches apart.
12. Brush each cookie lightly with the beaten egg.
13. Bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown.
14. Cool completely.
15. Combine powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl (approximately 2 1/2 teaspoons).
16. Drizzle this glaze lightly over cooled cookies.
17. ENJOY THESE BEAUTIFUL COOKIES!

Reviews

[rosiegrl]

i don't know what recipe everyone used but, i am a professional pastry chef and thought to try these cookies. growing up in an all polish neighborhood i had tasted the best. this dough was very difficult to work with.(it was extremely wet, pasty and stuck all over as soon as it warmed up). i am surprised at the reviews because the taste was just not there. possibly. the cookies has a very doughy biscuit taste. anyway very very disappointed.

[*Nataly*]

I made some of these for the girls in the office and everyone just adored them! I used strawberry preserves in some and raspberry in the others. Next time I may try some dates and finely chopped nuts in them and see how they come out. Sensational recipe to say the least!

[ImAGourmetChef]

What an excellent kolache recipe! I took the advice of Maggie and added slivered almonds on top of the glaze. Beautiful and delicious!