Kolaczki

Steps

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar and salt. On low speed, mix in the flour until a soft dough forms.
2. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, flatten them into disks, wrap them and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days, until firm.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
4. Dust the counter with equal parts flour and powdered sugar. Roll one disk about 1/8 inch thick and cut it into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife or a pastry wheel. Keep the other disks cold until you need them, and reroll the scraps once.
5. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon of filling into the center of each square. Fold one corner to the center and dab it with water. Fold the opposite corner over it and press firmly to seal.
6. Set the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. If the dough has gone soft, chill the sheets for 10 minutes so the folds hold.
7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and pale golden at the tips and on the bottoms. Cool them on the sheets for 2 minutes, then move them to a rack.
8. Dust the cookies with powdered sugar just before serving.

Good to know

• Use thick preserves or canned pastry filling, because thin jam melts and runs out. Apricot, raspberry, prune and poppy seed are all traditional.
• Make ahead: freeze the unbaked cookies on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake them from frozen and add 2 to 3 minutes. Baked cookies keep in a tin with parchment between the layers for up to 4 days.
• A few may open a little as they bake. A firm press and a dab of water at the seam help, and the powdered sugar hides the rest.