My mother was born in Hungary but forced into Germany after WWII. When I did a search for Datchkel (spelled phonetically) I came up with a big fat zero. The closest thing I could find to this recipe is for Polish Kolaczki.
Hungarian Kiffles are also similar but the recipe calls for cream cheese instead of cottage cheese for the dough. There seems to be quite a big Polish and Central European influence in the foods my mother cooked. In researching this recipe I found that there are many similar pastries throughout Central Europe.
In Hungary similar pastries are called Kifli or Kipfel in Austrian German, and in Vienna they are sometimes called a küpfel. In Austria, Kipferl are a traditional monastery pastry baked for Easter, but they are horn shaped with no filling.
I am not entirely sure where the name Datchkel came from, perhaps it came from the Swabian German influences where my mother’s family settled in the southern part of Germany after the war. I just remember it being one of her specialties!
No matter where the name came from, these cookies are delicious. Their history seems to date back to Austrian monks that baked them for the Easter season, so it seems fitting to share this recipe with you as Easter approaches.
Whether your ancestors are from Hungary, Germany, Poland, Austria or any central or eastern European country you will enjoy this recipe and it may be very similar to something you remember your mother or grandmother baking.
When I was growing up my mother would bake these cookies for me to take to school on my birthday to share with my classmates. There were 36 kids in my class and she baked enough cookies so everyone in my class could enjoy two cookies each. That’s a lot of cookies to bake!
When it got close to my birthday my classmates would always ask if my mom would be baking her special German cookies for my birthday and if I would be bringing them to school. I was the most popular girl in school on my birthday.
No matter how busy you are, make time to learn how to cook the recipes that your family enjoys. Now that my mother its gone, I regret not spending more time in the kitchen learning how to cook her recipes.
These are my all time favorite cookies! I love them even better than chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. And that’s saying something!!! They come in at #2 & #3 on may list of favorite cookies, Datchkel being #1. And once you try them they will be #1 on your list of favorite cookies too.
If you love puff pastry you will love these cookies! The cottage cheese dough bakes up light and crisp just like puff pastry or a flakey croissant but without all the work! There is some kinda magic in those little cottage cheese curds and pebbles of butter!
To start cut the butter into small pieces.
TIP: Make sure to use cold butter.
Get out large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour.
It’s the same process you would use when making a pie dough. Combine until you have a crumbly consistency.
Add the cottage cheese, mixing until the dough is well combined and holds together.
You will need to get in there with your hands to get the dough to come together.
Divide the dough into four equal portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight.
TIP: Since these cookies taste best eaten the day they are baked, place half of the dough in a freezer bag and freeze for later use.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll out one portion of chilled dough to an 1/8-inch thickness.
With a pizza cutter or pastry cutting wheel, cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch squares.
Place a teaspoon of preserves in the center of each square.
Bring all four corners together to the center and press down firmly in the middle to seal and make a packet.
Place a generous pinch of sugar in the center of each cookie.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Remove from pan with a metal spatula and cool completely on a wire rack.
TIP: Allow cookies too cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack. Fruit filling is hot right out of the oven, and it will burn the roof of your mouth if you don’t have patience and let them cool down. I know this from personal experience. You’ve been warned!
These cookies are best eaten the same day they are baked.
Datchkel
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 lb cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 16 oz small curd cottage cheese
- 8 oz Raspberry or Strawberry preserves
- Sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Combine until you have a crumbly consistency.
- Add cottage cheese, mixing lightly until dough is well combined and holds together.
- Divide dough into four equal portions and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- On lightly floured board, roll out one portion of dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
- With a pizza cutter or pastry dough cutter, cut dough into 2 1/2-inch squares.
- Place a teaspoon of preserves in the center of each square.
- Bring all four corners together and press down in the center to seal and make a packet.
- Place a generous pinch of sugar in the center of each cookie.
- Place cookies 1 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden browned.
- Remove from pan with a metal spatula and cool completely on a wire rack.
Did You Make This?
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I love you Mother ❤️ These are so good but yours were always better; probably because you baked them with your love mixed in.
I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you!
So so so good! But mine did not stay closed and pretty like yours. Almost all of them opened up. I pushed the center down firmly. Tried squeezing & twisting the ends together before pressing down, tried water on the ends to stick them together but nothing worked. What’s your trick?
Paula I press down really firmly and pile on a good amount of sugar in the centers. I have a lot open up too. My Mother’s rarely opened up but unfortunately she is no longer around to ask her secret. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Thank you for the response! I also pressed very firmly, down to the pan and lots of sugar. Regardless of appearance, they were delicious and I will be making them again!