Recipe: Ice Cream Kolachkes
Description: These sweet pastries have Polish and Czech roots and can also be spelled "kolaches." They are usually filled with poppy seeds, nuts, jam or a mashed fruit mixture. The ice cream is a unique twist on traditional kolachkes, and it's simplest to use a square cookie cutter to cut the dough. &mdash;Diane Turner, Brunswick, Ohio
Ingredients: [{"text": "2 cups butter, softened"}, {"text": "1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened"}, {"text": "4 cups all-purpose flour"}, {"text": "2 tablespoons sugar"}, {"text": "2 cans (12 ounces each) apricot and/or raspberry cake and pastry filling"}, {"text": "1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, optional"}]
Instructions: In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, beat butter and ice cream until blended (mixture will appear curdled). Add flour and sugar; mix well. Divide dough into 4 portions; cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 12x10-in. rectangle; cut into 2-in. squares. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each square. Overlap 2 opposite corners of dough over filling; pinch tightly to seal. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, 11-14 minutes. Cool 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired.
