Making Cookies - Family Traditions

It's the same in every family.  There's a food that you grow up with, homemade ... or not, that is a family favorite.  There might be an adaptation of a recipe, a favorite flavor or just sweet memories.  This cookie recipe is all of that!

The Kolaski Cookie Experiment - ©CindyRippe2013

My mother-in-law has been making this version of "Klatchkys" for as long as I can remember.  Lee loves them and his favorite flavor is Apricot.  When I got my "new" stove last month I wanted to try and make these for him so I asked for the recipe.  After all of his hard work over the weekend it seemed like the perfect day to do that.

When I saw the list of ingredients I could hardly believe they would turn out to be as good as his Mom's.   After a few phone calls, confirming that "no, there is no sugar in the dough", and purchasing the supplies, I was ready.  I mixed up the dough, wrapped it and refrigerated it overnight, and the next day set up everything to begin the baking.

The instructions said to roll the dough about the same thickness as pie crust.  What !?!  I've never made a pie crust! lol.... I experimented with one small pan of cookies.  They tasted great!  Like warm pastries. I set them aside to cool and anxiously waited for the official taste test, when Lee got home from work, before making the rest of the cookies.  Guess what?  I did it wrong..  I made one pinch, on a diagonal.  MIL makes them with two pinches to make a square. (Did I tell you I've hardly ever eaten them because the batch she makes is always small and I leave them for her 3 kids to enjoy?  I guess I never really paid attention to what they looked like.)

Lee would have been OK with them but I wanted to make them correctly.  He was happy to show me the way his Mom's look and we had fun trying to get it just right.  I still like the diagonal shape, Lee likes the squares.  I guess, in the long run, we started a new tradition of making them together.

They turned out great and there were plenty for him to take to work for his coworkers to share. I found out (too late) that they need to be wrapped loosely so they don't get too soft.  Should have asked before I packed them last night. 

Just in case you want to try them here's Alice's recipe.  Now that I've made them they'll be much easier next time.  I hope....... :)

 Notes:
1. I can't believe how many different spellings there are for these cookies.
2. I also can't believe I didn't look up the recipe or hints for making them on the internet.  I usually check everything out first!  I did have more fun talking to my sister-in-law, Elena, mother-in-law, Alice and Lee to find out what works best for them though!
3. Turns out that Larry and Elena make theirs with small curd cottage cheese and don't sift the flour and they are delicious.  Try experimenting and do it your way!
4. A printable version of this recipe is available HERE.

And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.   Ecclesiastes 8:15

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