Kolochy

Kolache (also spelled kolochy or kolacky) are tiny Czech pastries with a buttery cream cheese dough wrapped around a dab of fruit jam. Three ingredients in the dough, one filling, and a snowfall of powdered sugar. That’s it.

The cream cheese dough is what makes these irresistible. Butter and cream cheese blended with flour create a pastry that’s flaky, tender, and rich without being heavy. Don’t overprocess when mixing; you want the butter and cream cheese just combined, with small visible pieces remaining. Those pieces create flaky layers as they melt in the oven.

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes firms up the butter so you can roll it thin without sticking. If it warms up and goes soft while you’re working, slide it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Fold two opposite edges to the center and press them firmly. If the seal is loose, the pastry opens up during baking and the jam escapes.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough as thin as you can manage; thick kolache are doughy instead of flaky
• Use only ¼ teaspoon of jam per round; more than that and it oozes out during baking
• Dust with powdered sugar while still hot so it sticks and partially melts into a thin glaze

Variations

• Use apricot, raspberry, prune, or poppy seed filling for traditional Czech flavors
• Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough for a citrus accent
• Fill with Nutella instead of jam for a chocolate-hazelnut version