For years I have made the basic Slovak holiday desserts like nut roll ( orechovnik) and kiffles like any good hunkie would. I thought instead of using apricot and lekvar ( prune) filling for the kiffles, I would use fig filling. I used some of my fig preserve from this season and boiled it to reduce it to a paste. It was tremendous. Here are a few pics of them and the recipe below. Keep in mind these cookies are made with sugar, cream cheese, and butter. Most of family members do not make it past 65 years old.

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 to 2/3 cup additional flour (to prevent sticking during rolling)
2 12-ounce cans of pastry filling

Prepare the dough:
Whisk the 2-1/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together at medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until very smooth and creamy.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour-salt mixture slowly, mixing just until combined. The dough will be quite moist, but not sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of lightly floured wax paper and flatten into a square about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4 equal pieces and wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, a minimum of 2 hours.

Assemble the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a well floured sheet of wax paper. Dust the top of the dough with flour and top with another sheet of wax paper. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. You should end up with about a 10-11" square.

Remove the top sheet of wax paper and trim dough into a square with a pastry wheel or sharp knife. Cut the square into fourths lengthwise and crosswise to get 16 squares. (Save your scraps for re-rolling.)

Working as quickly as possible, place about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of filling in center of each square. Pinch together two opposite corners in the center and fold that "point" over to one side and smooth down very gently. This helps to prevent the cookie from popping open as it bakes.

Arrange cookies 1-1/2 inches apart on the parchment lined sheet. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then carefully transfer to cooling racks. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 portions of dough, using different filling flavors if desired.

Store between layers of waxed paper in a tightly closed container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature (30 minutes out of the fridge), arrange on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. It's not advisable to top them with powdered sugar before storing.

Makes about 5 dozen

Great, Bill! All I need is fig pastry filling. Or preserves. Maybe I have an idea where I can find preserves...your house is now on the member map :) Anyway, thanks for sharing this, recipe sounds like the Slovenian nut roll my in-laws make called poticza(?sp)

It is definitely popular with yuhns out in western PA. My family is from McKeesport/north Versailles and some lived ott ( I'm using the Pittsburgh accent) in delmont. Part of my family was Polish and the other was Slovakian. Each side had their own recipe for nut roll and each thought the other side of the family's was inferior. I was just an impartial judge who enjoyed twice as much nut roll as either side.

Thanks for the great recipe, can't wait to give it a try.

No way!!! I have this exact family recipe and we are polish. We often use pineapple preserves, but fig sounds amazing. I have also tried guava paste and highly suggest it (get the condensed jam block/ usually located in the Mexican food isle). The guava doesn't run at all, which can be a major issue if you get greedy with the preserves.  One tip of advice for the recipe, make sure to chill the dough before using and I highly suggest sectioning in to chunks so when one get too warm you can grab a cold one from the fridge. Also the thinner you roll the dough the puffier and more flaky the dough will be, I usually roll out the dough till translucent (not joking). Highly suggest it! Thanks for sharing Bill, oh what a small world it is!

[QUOTE=bigbadbill]For years I have made the basic Slovak holiday desserts like nut roll ( orechovnik) and kiffles like any good hunkie would. I thought instead of using apricot and lekvar ( prune) filling for the kiffles, I would use fig filling.

Here is what I was talking about if anyone is interesting

Yum! Bill, when do I get some?   Have a great Thanksgiving!

Wow, Becky, that is a great idea with the guava. My " purist" family do enough grumbling about the fig-rather than traditional ( prune lekvar, walnut, and apricot), but I think whatever tastes good ( and I love guava) make it that way! You are so right about the refrigeration on the dough. It warms up fast and is hard to work with. Also, correct about the thinness of the dough for flakiness. How long have you made these, you sound like a pro! I'm very glad you mentioned this. How about nut roll? Do you make that, too? Von, anytime you want! I certainly can ship them. They store well because they are anything but dry ( with butter and cream cheese as a base). I am serious, though. I can send some your way maybe right before Christmas? They go fast. I made 5 dozen and my daughter ( who's doing division right now in school) calculated how many we could all eat per day so they'd last until thanksgiving. They're all gone now, three days before thanksgiving. Easy math.

[QUOTE=bigbadbill]It is definitely popular with yuhns out in western PA. My family is from McKeesport/north Versailles and some lived ott ( I'm using the Pittsburgh accent) in delmont. Part of my family was Polish and the other was Slovakian. Each side had their own recipe for nut roll and each thought the other side of the family's was inferior. I was just an impartial judge who enjoyed twice as much nut roll as either side. [/QUOTE]

Bill: what a great idea for the holidays! Wow, this is a "dangerous" forum (not in a bad way, of course).

Thsnks for the recipe. Amazingly creative people here!

[QUOTE=rmulhero]
Here is what I was talking about if anyone is interesting[/QUOTE]

I've had this stuff!! It's goood!

If you are taking orders, Bill, I'm buying :)

Bill, 
I have been making these since I have been little. My two other tips are that the dough will last in the freezer for at least 6 month with out any effect on the flavor (time saver during the holidays!). Secondly invest in some silpats, they are a life saver- when the preserves run over the sugar doesn't burn and comes right off so you can cook the next batch :). I have a polish pretzel recipe with powdered sugar but not the nut roll. I would love to get the recipe if you would share it. My grandfather was a only child and only came over with his parents so I believe some of the traditions were lost. I hope you enjoy the guava, it was a hit with my family and I found it by accident through living in Miami for a time. 

[QUOTE=bigbadbill]Wow, Becky, that is a great idea with the guava. My " purist" family do enough grumbling about the fig-rather than traditional ( prune lekvar, walnut, and apricot), but I think whatever tastes good ( and I love guava) make it that way! You are so right about the refrigeration on the dough. It warms up fast and is hard to work with. Also, correct about the thinness of the dough for flakiness. How long have you made these, you sound like a pro! I'm very glad you mentioned this. How about nut roll? Do you make that, too?