Polish kołaczki cookies are made with a cream cheese dough that bakes up buttery and flaky. Kołaczki can be round, square or diamond-shaped, and the dough can be flaky or yeast-risen, and the spelling varies widely.

Since they are a little time consuming to make, they are usually offered for holidays or special occasions, but they're not difficult to make.

Favourite fillings include apricot, raspberry, prune, almond, poppy seed, and sweet cheese, but you can put anything in them, including strawberry, blueberry, apricot, and even pineapple. Try to avoid using jam as it is usually not thick enough. Instead, use products labeled cake and pastry filling in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

You will need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling and cutting, so plan accordingly.