Vegan Fig Jam-Filled Cookies, Kołaczki

VEGAN FIG JAM-FILLED COOKIES (Kołaczki)

Growing up as the 2nd generation of Polish American Parents, I was fortunate to have access to my Babcie’s recipes. I realized that some of the recipes had been modified over the years, but the final product has all of the trademark Polish flavors.

These filled cookies have a very delicate and flaky crust that goes with any filling you like, ex: prune, poppy seed, sweet cheese, apricot, raspberry. Just make sure the filling is not too watery so it doesn’t run. I used homemade fig jam that I made from my sister-in-law’s fig harvest this summer.

By the way, no one could tell that these were vegan, they were just delicious and gone in minutes.

Roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness — chilled dough

Vegan Fig Jam-Filled Cookies, Kołaczki

Servings: 30
Time: 1 1/2 hour
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A delicate and flaky traditional Polish fruit-filled cookie that makes any day a special day.

Original recipe by: GourmetMariChef

Ingredients

2 ½ c. flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. shortening
½ c. vegan cream cheese *recipe below* or store bought vegan cream cheese
¼ c. sugar
1 jar of thick fruit preserves, jam, or homemade jam (watery jams tend to run)
2-4 tbsp. water
¼ c. confectioners sugar for sprinkling on the cookies

Directions

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream together the shortening, vegan cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixing machine until light and fluffy.
Add the flour to the shortening mixture and blend by hand. If the dough is too dry, add in 1 tbsp. of water at a time to make the dough more pliable.
Cut the dough in half, flatten, and place in a plastic baggie in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.
Preheat the oven to 350º. Place parchment paper on a few cookie sheets.
Roll out one of the chilled doughs to ¼” thickness.
With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut out 2 ½ ” squares and fill the middle with approximately 1 tsp. jam.
Put a little bit of water on two opposite corners of the dough and wrap them together.
Gently place them on the parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes, you can rotate the pans halfway through to evenly bake.
When they are slightly browned, take them out and place the cookies on a rack to cool.
Sprinkle them with confectioners sugar right before serving.

*Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe: In a bullet style blender, place 1½ c. soaked raw cashews, the juice of ½ lemon, ½ c. coconut cream (solids), 1 tsp. white vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, 2-3 tbsp. water. Blend until smooth and creamy. If more water is needed, only add a small amount at a time. The cream cheese will firm up after refrigeration.