These little fold-ups are reminiscent of the kolacky I used to eat at a little restaurant with my parents, when I was a kid in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village. I have to say, we were a lot happier about eating these than the czarnina (duck’s blood soup) that came first…. heyheyhey…

These call for an egg-yolk enriched pastry for the crust. But if you want to make more-traditional kolachy, choose a cream-cheese pastry recipe for the crust (see our Apricot Pillows recipe for that), and sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the cooled cookies.

Makes three dozen cookies

Pastry Crust Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 egg yolk (save white for egg wash)
• sanding sugar
• confectioners sugar

Pineapple Filling Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp, each, tapioca starch and cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 can crushed pineapple, juice drained and reserved
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• juice from 1/2 fresh-squeezed lemon

 

Instructions

1. Make pastry: In food processor combine flour and sugar. Pulse to combine butter to consistency of course cornmeal. In a large bowl, combine this with cream and egg yolk. Flatten into two disks; wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
2. Make filling: Blend starches and sugar in sauce pan. Add juice and over low heat, whisk until thickened and clear. Add drained pineapple. Cool.
3. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 1/8 of an inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3-inch squares. Place dollop of filling in center of each; fold two corners over to center.
4. Preheat oven to 375, with rack in center.
5. Brush cookies with reserved egg-white. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
6. On parchment-lined baking sheet, bake cookies at 375 for 15 minutes until golden.
7. Cool on parchment. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.