There are many different styles (and spellings) for Kolache cookies; some are made with yeast, some made with cream cheese, some are round, some are rolled up.

This recipe is a cream cheese and butter crust that bakes up light as air and flaky and sweet. Instead of using dried fruit (like some recipes call for), it uses jam (any flavor you like) They are truly delicious and look SO PRETTY on any cookie tray.

2  1/4  cups all purpose flour
1  cup butter at room temperature
8  ounces full fat cream cheese at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix flour and salt and set aside. NOTE: If you are using UNsalted butter, increase the salt in this recipe to 1/2 teaspoon. 

In a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter + the room temperature cream cheese + sugar and vanilla on medium high speed for 3 minutes.

After you have beaten the butter-cream cheese for 3 minutes, slowly add the flour-salt  mixture (I usually add it in fourths), mixing well after each addition.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two flat disks about 3/4" thick. Cover and chill for about an hour.

After the dough has chilled for an hour, turn it out on a counter that has been coated with GRANULATED SUGAR. Roll dough to 1/8" thickness and make sure the sugar coats both sides of the dough (this dough is VERY easy to work).

NOTE: If you are like me, I often don't get back to this dough within an hour and it is rock hard when I go to roll it out. If that happens, just let it sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes and it will soften up enough to be workable. 

Cut dough into (roughly) 2 1/2 inch squares. Pick up each square and pinch two opposite corners together (see above photo). Lay it on a parchment lined baking sheet and spoon 1/4 teaspoon of favorite jam into each end of the cookie. Personally, I like to do this step with a disposable frosting bag and I just squirt it into each end opening.

Bake in preheated 375° oven for 12 to 14 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 12 minutes). Cool on wire rack.

ENJOY !!

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December 19, 2021

I've been making these peanut butter cookies for over 40 years; they are my husbands all time favorite. I've made them so many times that I don't even have to open the recipe book anymore.  They are foolproof and VERY easy to make.

1/2 cup Butter Flavored Crisco (no substitutions, see note below)
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Jiff)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 cups flour

In a stand mixer, cream together the Butter Flavored Crisco + Peanut Butter + brown sugar + granulated sugar. Beat until it is light and fluffy (takes just a minute or so).

Add the egg and vanilla and beat till smooth...set aside.

In a bowl stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until well mixed.  

If the cookie dough seems a little dry or crumbly, add a tablespoon of water and mix a few more seconds.

Roll the cookie dough into balls about the size of a small walnut and then roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet (about 2" apart) and flatten a little with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake in a 375° preheated oven for 10-11 minutes or until edges of the cookie are light golden. Let cookies cool on the pan for about a minute, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack (or waxed paper) to cool completely. The cookies will crisp up a little while cooling.

NOTE: Cooking time depends on how large you make these cookies. Dough balls about the size of a small walnut, bake for 11 minutes in my electric oven.

NOTE: Don't be tempted to use butter in this recipe. The Butter Flavored Crisco makes a light and tender cookie. Butter will give you a very dense and heavy cookie.

ENJOY !!!

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March 31, 2021

I think of my Dear Sweet mother every time I make these pecan sandie's, they were her favorite kind of cookie; I think Keebler made them if I remember correctly. 

 

This cookie is buttery, sweet, tender and  they melt in your mouth!! The cookie dough is formed into logs, then chilled for about an hour, then sliced (abt. 1/4" thick) and baked at your convenience. 

This recipe makes 4 nice big logs (each log makes about a dozen cookies). I often make this cookie dough and (after it's formed into logs) I freeze them. When I need another batch of cookies, I just pull the dough out of the freezer and (after  you let it warm up enough to slice) you have hot cookies in a flash!!

2 cups butter (no substitutions) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (important see note)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, salt and extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy (takes a few minutes and looks sort of like whipped cream when you are done).

Add the flour, one cup at a time, until well mixed. The dough will seem VERY thick, so a stand mixer works best but it isn't absolutely necessary. You will know you have mixed it enough when the cookie dough starts to come away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Mix in nuts.

Divide the dough into 4 logs about  2" in diameter. Roll the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour (or up to several days).

When it's time to bake, slice the cookie dough logs into 1/4" slices and roll (tops and bottoms) in granulated sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for  18-20 minutes (my oven takes exactly 18 minutes) or until the edges are JUST STARTING to turn golden.

 

NOTE: You will not taste the coconut extract in the final cookie, but it lends a wonderful "background" flavor that is reminiscent of those great Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies that come in round tins at Christmas time.

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February 06, 2021

 

Picky-picky Hubby tells me these Pecan Pie Bites are totally addicting. They have a buttery shortbread crust ......  a slightly gooey center and glazed sweet pecans on top. What more can you ask for?  Oh yes, they also freeze exceptionally well!!!

Click on this photo to get a better look

CRUST
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter (room temperature)

Mix the above crust ingredients well and press into a  9" x 13" baking dish that has been lined with parchment or no-stick foil (see note below). This mixture will seem crumbly before you bake it, but don't worry about that. Just pat it evenly into the pan and bake in preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes. If you are using a glass baking pan, bake at 325°.

While the crust is baking, mix up the topping:

TOPPING
3 eggs well beaten
1 cup light corn syrup (I use Karo brand)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 + 2/3 cup chopped pecans

Mix well and pour over partially baked crust, making sure the nuts are evenly spread out. Return to the oven and bake for 25 more minutes.

 

Cool COMPLETELY in pan.

NOTE:  The Pecan Pie Bite crust does not stick to the pan, but around the edges of the topping, it does like to stick. To combat that, I line my 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper or the new Reynolds Easy Release foil, leaving the ends a little long so I can use them as "handles" to lift out the COMPLETELY COOLED recipe. 

Make sure they have cooled this 
to room temperature before

you cut them into bites. 

NOTE:  Since we are empty-nesters, this recipe is too big for us, so I cut the baked recipe into thirds and wrap each one in plastic wrap then again in a zip top freezer bag and freeze them.They freeze VERY well. 

DO NOT CUT THEM INTO "BITES" UNTIL YOU  THAW THEM OUT.

ENJOY !!!

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January 07, 2021

These BIG chocolate cookies are addictingly delicious!! They are buttery, rich and chocolate-y, studded with mini chocolate chips and it all comes in a whopping 4" soft cookie that tastes like a brownie!!

JUMBO CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES
THIS RECIPE MAKES 17 BIG COOKIES

2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/3 cups brown sugar (packed)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

10 oz. pkg. MINI chocolate chips

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup melted butter

Whisk together the flour + cocoa + baking soda + salt (set aside)

In your stand mixer, mix together the melted butter + brown sugar + granulated sugar + eggs + vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

Add the flour mixture (1/2 at a time), mix well between each addition (batter will be VERY thick). Add the mini-chocolate chips and mix just until well incorporated.

Form cookies into large ball (1/4 cup each in size). Flatten each cookie JUST A TINY BIT, then place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet with 4" space between each cookie. I add a few extra mini chocolate chips on top of each cookie, but you don't have to.

CHILL FOR 2 HOURS.

Take chilled cookies out of refrigerator while your oven is pre-heating.  Bake 14 minutes, or until top of cookie is just "set". Don't over-bake.

Let the baked cookie sit on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before you move to a cooling rack.

NOTE: I wrap this big cookies individually before I put them in the cookie jar. It keeps them soft.

NOTE: As "Empty Nesters" I'm always looking for smaller desserts. So, when I make these monsters, I usually shape and freeze a few (unbaked). I just pull a couple out of the freezer and bake them a couple minutes longer than the regular directions.

They make a quick and easy dessert for us empty nesters. Just remember to let the baked cookie sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before you try to move them.

ENJOY !!!!!

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December 23, 2020

This fun little recipe is for those "I-need-some-chocolate-right-now-or-I'm-going-to die" moments in your life. 

Cookies from the microwave? Before today, I would have highly doubted their success, however, my sore tongue is proof that I was TOO IMPATIENT to let them cool off...they really "hit the spot".

This recipe only makes six small cookies, which is PERFECT better for my perpetual diet. Do NOT expect the same crispy cookie you would get out of the oven, but the taste is very much the same.

1 tablespoon butter (melted)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (or ANY flavored chip)

Mix everything and form into 1" balls, then flatten a little and put them on an UN-greased microwave safe plate. They don't spread much when they cook, so just put them an inch or so apart.

Microwave on high for 45-55 seconds (my microwave took 50 seconds).

Now is the hard part......let them cool for a couple of minutes....then enjoy!!

NOTE: Do not be tempted to add any baking soda to this recipe.

ENJOY !!!

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September 28, 2020

This is the best "cookie" we've tried in a long time, my picky-picky husband is in love with this sweet treat!!! He likes raspberry bars the best, but any jam will work well in this recipe.

The bottom layer is a deliciously sweet and TENDER shortbread cookie crust, then there is a simple layer of your favorite jam, nuts and then more shortbread pieces on top. It couldn't be easier!!! 

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond  extract

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup of your favorite jam (stirred until loose)

3/4 cup of pecans (chopped small) and toasted a little

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8"x 8" pan with parchment or foil.

If you are using foil, spray it lightly with cooking spray.

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

Beat the (room temperature) butter, powdered sugar and extracts for about 2 minutes. 

Add the flour and beat until it all comes together. I use a stand mixer, but if you are using a smaller mixer, the dough will look just a little crumbly...but that's OK, it will still work fine.

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

Remove 1/2 cup of this dough and flatten it out, wrap it in plastic and freeze for 10 minutes. 

Pat the rest of the dough into the foil (or parchment) lined pan, in an even layer. Top with the chopped pecans and press them gently into the dough just a little. Spread the jam evenly over the nut layer.

Take the reserved dough out of the freezer and slice it thinly and arrange randomly over the jam.

Bake 50 minutes at 350°F or until the pieces of cookie dough are light golden brown. Drizzle with vanilla frosting glaze while the bars are still HOT.

For the glaze, I just mix about 2 tablespoons melted butter with 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and about 2 tablespoons milk. If the glaze seems too thin, add another spoon of powdered sugar. If it seems to thick, add another 1-2 tablespoons of milk...Whisk till smooth and drizzle over the HOT bars. 

When the bars are completely cool, cut them into small pieces (they are very rich) and they freeze well too.

ENJOY !!!

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August 26, 2020

This classic sugar cookie is very easy, very quick and delicious !!! It is a must for everyone's recipe box!!! Excellent for ANY and ALL holidays (just change the color of the frosting).  

Recipe Makes 

3 dozen 3" cookies 

and they freeze well.

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
small pinch of salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons corn syrup (the clear white kind)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes on high speed).

Add egg, corn syrup and extracts, mix well.

Add flour + baking powder + baking soda + salt and mix well. Batter will be very thick, so a stand mixer works best for this.

Roll dough into 1" balls, then roll them in granulated sugar and pat them down JUST A LITTLE BIT (bottom of sugared glass works well for this).

NOTE: If you don't want to frost these cookies, you can roll them in cinnamon sugar before baking.

Line your cookie sheet with parchment (important). Place chilled cookie's about 3" apart on cookie sheet. 

Bake at 325° for 12-14 minutes (cookies should be VERY SLIGHTLY golden around edges, like this)

Cool the baked cookies a minute or so before you remove them to a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cool, you can frost them.

FROSTING

3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk (start with 3)
Mix well with wire wisk and frost cookies

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July 03, 2020

Remember those crispy holiday cookies that came in the bright blue tin containers at Christmas? Yes, those!!! They are Danish Butter Cookies and they are TOTALLY addicting!!! 

These cookies don't have that fancy swirl that came on the holiday cookies in the tins, but that is a SMALL price to pay in exchange for how easy these are to make.

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream the room temperature butter and sugar until it is light and creamy (about a minute or so).

Add 1 egg and the vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy (about another minute).

Mix the flour, baking soda and cream of tarter in a small bowl and add it to the beaten butter, half cup at a time, mixing only long enough to combine well after each addition of flour.

Roll into 1" balls and then roll them in granulated sugar. Place them on lightly greased baking sheet 3" apart. (Note: I spray my cookie sheet with vegetable spray, then wipe most of it off with a paper towel).

Once on the cookie sheet, lightly press them down a little with a fork and add an extra pinch of sugar on top of the raw cookie.

Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 10-11 minutes or just until the outer edges are golden. My electric oven takes 11 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool ON THE PAN for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them to a cookie rack to cool completely.

The cookies will crisp up as they cool.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

ENJOY !!!

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February 04, 2019

I make these cookies for Christmas; individually wrapped, these BIG COOKIES make nice thank you treats for teachers, the mail man, the UPS man, etc.

The flavor of this chocolate chip cookie the best I've ever found, with tons of chocolate and walnuts.  This recipe makes about 24 HUGE 5" cookies.

1/2 cup rolled oats 
2  1/4 cups flour
1  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1  teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup regular white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts chopped

Put the rolled oats in the food processor and process until you get a fairly fine powder. In a bowl, mix the oat "powder" with the flour + baking soda + salt + cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice until it is smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Dough is going to be very stiff, so a stand mixer works well for this.  

Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix until well combined.  CHILL THE DOUGH FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR.

Each cookie takes a little less than 1/4 cup of cookie dough. I use my ice cream scoop to measure them out.

Roll the 1/4 cup of cookie dough in your hand and place six cookie dough balls on every large cookie sheet (at least 5" apart).  Bake in pre-heated  350 degree oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes. My standard electric oven takes 16 minutes exactly.

Let the baked cookies sit on the hot cookie pan for about 3 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack (the cookies will fall apart if you try to take them off of the cookie sheet too soon).

Once the cookies are completely cooled, I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then freeze them in a freezer zipper bag until I'm ready to give them away.

They are completely delicious!!!

ENJOY !!!

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December 21, 2018

This is the best sugar cookie we've tried in years.It's super light with crispy edges,sweet with roasted almonds. It is a great cookie. I found the original recipe on a web site called Chocolate, Chocolate and More, but of course I had to tweak it.

Roast 1 1/2 cup of whole almonds in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes or until you notice a nutty aroma. Let cool and then put them in your food processor. Pulse them a few times until you get nice small pieces (sift out the "fines" if you have any).

1 1/2 cups butter (room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)

1 teaspoon baking powder

dash salt

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup roasted chopped almonds 

In stand mixer, beat room temperature butter plus brown sugar plus granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time) plus extracts.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add this flour mixture to butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Fold in chopped nuts. Chill for about 1/2 hour to make handling easier.

Form into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar. Chill another half hour (or put in freezer for 10 minutes like I do).

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet (I use that new "no stick" aluminum foil).  Space cookies at least 2" apart because they spread a little. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 9 minutes) or until the edges are golden.

IMPORTANT: Let baked cookies sit on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before you try to remove them, or they will break apart.

Finish cooling on baking rack.

The cookies get nice and crispy 

in a few minutes

NOTE: Don't leave out the coconut extract. You won't taste coconut specifically in the finished cookie, but it blends well with the vanilla and enhances the overall  buttery taste of this cookie.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies....depending on how big you make them.

ENJOY !!

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March 03, 2018

Chocolate wafer cookies can be used for so many things. They are great in the ever popular no-bake eclair "cake", and they look so pretty coated with mint chocolate at Christmas, they are perfect for ice cream sandwiches, and much more. Unfortunately, commercial chocolate wafer cookies are sometimes hard to find in the store, especially around the holidays.

Problem solved: I found a recipe that tastes just like Nabisco's chocolate wafer cookies.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use 1/2 cup)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar   (I use 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) UNsalted butter, 
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda in the bowl of your food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly.

Cut the SLIGHTLY softened butter into 12 chunks and add them to the flour mixture. Pulse several times.

In a small cup, mix the milk and vanilla and drizzle it into the cookie batter while the food processor is running. Continue pulsing until the batter clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl.

Transfer dough to the counter (no extra flour needed) and knead a few times to form into a 12" x 2" log. Cover in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour. I like to square off the sides of the log to give me more of a square cookie.

The original recipe says to slice into 1/4" thick slices, but I find that 1/8" slices are better. Bake them on parchment lined cookie sheets (1 1/2" apart) in a pre-heated 375° oven, for 12-15 minutes. My electric oven takes 13 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes, then place them on a wire rack. They will crisp up as they cool.

You can store these cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks or they can be frozen up to 2 months, so they are a perfect "make ahead" baking project.

At Christmas, I dipped these

chocolate wafers into melted

Andres Creme de Menthe chocolates

they were Deee-licious!!

Chocolate wafers in the (ever popular)
Eclair Cake is a nice twist

No Bake Eclair Cake

Overnight in the fridge, the cookies 

turn into "cake"...delicious!!

Here's the link: No Bake Eclair Cake

ENJOY !!!

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November 17, 2017

Sweet and tender, these old fashioned classic shortbread cookies are easy to make and ALWAYS a big hit. Picky-picky husband loves them frosted in pink (for some weird reason), they are one of his all time favorites.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

2 cups UNsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 cups all purpose flour
(NO EGGS)

The cookie batter in the recipe is fairly heavy, so it works best in a stand mixer if possible.

Add 2 cups (one pound) of room temperature butter and 1 cup regular sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). The last 30 seconds or so, add the salt and extracts and beat until well mixed. (see note about salt)

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Dump cookie batter onto counter and divide into 4 sections. Roll each section into a "log" about 2" in diameter. Wrap each "log" in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. You can roll the entire CHILLED log in sprinkles or finely chopped nuts before you slice them if you like.

Pre-heat oven to 350° and slice chilled cookie dough "logs" into 1/4" slices. Place on UNgreased cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes or until the very edges just start to turn golden.

Cool cookies and frost if you like.  If you aren't going to frost them, roll the sliced cookie's in granulated sugar BEFORE BAKING.

NOTE: If you do not have UNsalted butter on hand (no big deal), just use regular salted  butter, but LEAVE OUT the salt in the recipe.

ENJOY !!!!!

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March 22, 2017