Kolaches?

[smoke king]

I grew up eating Kolaches (and it shows) that my mother, and grandmother used to make.

For those unfamiliar, they are a square (ish) pastry, with an indent on top-they are filled with a variety of fillings, limited I suppose only by ones imagination. The ones I grew up with were filled with apricot, prune, cream cheese and poppy-seed (pre-drug testing era)

Since Mom and Grandma have both passed (god bless em') I have had no luck recreating these delicious czech treats-does anyone have a recipe for them??

I would love to make these, and pass them on to my family!!!

 

[homecook]

Here's a recipe my grandmother always used and taught me to make.

Kolaches

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 pound butter
4 pkgs. (3 oz.) cream cheese

Sift flour into large bowl. Cut in butter as for pie dough. Cut in the cheese and work the mixture together with a fork until a round ball is formed. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2 hours. Cut dough in 3 pieces. Roll out on floured cloth or board slightly thicker than noodle dough. Cut into 3 x 3-inch pieces or 4 x 4, using pastry cutter. Place teaspoonful of filling in center and overlap opposite corners. Bake in greased cookie pan at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Nut Filling

Heat 1/2 cup milk. Add 1 pound ground walnuts, stirring until milk is absorbed. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.

I also have a recipe that uses yeast if you would like that one also.

Barb

 

[giggler]

Dear Barb (homecook),

I would love to see your Yeast Kolache recipe. My brother and I have been on this for some years, but our Aunt won't give us her secrets!

I think the dough is close to an Italian Brioche, sort of sweet and maybe a lot of egg yolk as the cooked dough is yellow.

The fillings here in Central Texas are usually fruit, or cheese which is like sweet cottage cheese. The nut filling you mentioned looks wonderful, I've never seen that.

You can also use this same dough and wrap it around a sausage to make a "Pig in a Blanket". very common here, there is a gas station up the street that has good ones. I know they must buy them somewhere, but they won't tell me.

Apparently, this Kolache dough recipe is a secret in these parts!

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Dina]

Czech Kolache - Allrecipes Check this recipe Smoke King. You can substitute the raisin filling for apricot or prune. I have been wanting to make kolaches for so long that I'm going to try them soon. There are several threads here with other kolache recipes. I'll try to find more for you.

 

[smoke king]

Wow-Thanks guys.

Like giggler said, the ones I'm familiar with were also like a brioche-slightly sweet with a yellow tinge to them.

His comment regarding his aunt not giving up her "secrets" made me laugh; The "air of mystery" surrounding these old recipes must be a Czech thing. My sister will gladly make them for you-she just won't tell you how!!

 

[homecook]

Here's the yeast Kolache recipe.

1 cake (1-ounce) yeast
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3 egg yolks
1/2 pint sour cream
granulated sugar

Crumble yeast into flour. Cut in margarine and butter as for pie crust. Beat together egg yolks and sour cream. Add to flour mixture. Mix well. Shape into ball, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, work with 1/4 of dough at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated. Sprinkle pastry cloth with sugar. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick, turning it over to sugar the other side also. Cut into 3-4 inch squares. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Make indentation in center and fill with any thick filling such as prepared poppyseed, pineapple, apricot or cream cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until very light brown.

Cream cheese filling

Blend one 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar, 2 T. flour and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix well.

Barb

 

[BreezyCooking]

Oh God - thanks for the "blast from the past". As a 100% Czech on both sides of the family, I grew up with all sorts of wonderful Bohemian specialties, & Kolaches were one of them.

Thanks for the reminder. As soon as the weather cools down here a bit to where the idea of baking doesn't automatically make me swoon, I'll have to try a batch!!

 

[homecook]

My grandmother was Polish and we made these all the time! I remember eating them since I was a little kid and I'm MUCH older now. lol My grandmother and I always made these at Christmas and Easter. She just passed away a couple months ago at 99 yrs. old but she left me with all her wisdom and recipes.

 

[smoke king]

Thanks a million HC-can't wait to try it out!!!!