just saw these on foodnetwork....you can fill them with fruits, cheese, meats....all kinds of cool stuff....here is the basic dough (this originated in eastern europe....czechs fill with fruit while poles fill with meats): Kolache Capital of Texas Mrs. Ella Drgac's Kolaches 1985 Grand Champion Kolache Bake Off Step1: Combine 2 cups of milk, 2 teaspoons of salt, 4 tablespoons of Crisco and 4 tablespoons of sugar. Scald and set aside. Step 2: Combine 1/2 cup warm water and 2 packages or 2 tablespoons of dry yeast. Set aside to dissolve. Step 3: Add 2 eggs, well-beaten, to the cooled milk mixture in Step 1 and the yeast mixture in Step 2. Then add 6-6 1/2 cups of flour. Step 4: Mix it together, then work up The dough to a soft. smooth Finish. Cover with a cloth and let it rise to about twice the bulk. This usually takes close to an hour. Then, work up the dough again. cover with a cloth and let it rise a second time. After it rises a second time, roll the dough out onto a flour-covered counter like You would biscuits. Then cut out circles 2 1/2 - 3 inches in diameter. Place the circles on a greased pan and make indentions in the center. Fill with filling, let rise, then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the kolaches have a light brown finish. Be careful to not bake them too long. Yields about 6 to 7 dozen.
here are some fruit and cheese kolache fillings: Title: Kolache Fillings Categories: Breads Yield: 1 serving -POPPY SEED FILLING- 1 1/2 c Poppyseed 1 c Sugar 2 c Water; OR milk 2 tb Butter; OR margarine 1 tb Flour -CHEESE FOR KOLACHES- 1 ct Cottage cheese 1/2 c Flour 1/2 c Sugar 1/2 c Butter; OR margarine 1 Egg 1 ts Vanilla 1 c Coconut and raisins; - optional -APRICOT FILLING- 1 pk Dried apricots; 8-oz package 1 cn Peach slices; drained Sugar; to taste Butter; OR margarine, small - amount Tapioca; optional -PRUNE FILLING- 2 c Prunes; pitted, cooked 1/4 c Sugar 1 ts Cinnamon 3 tb Butter; melted Poppy Seed Filling. Take 1 1/2 cups poppyseed and grind. Add 1 cup sugar and about 2 cups water or milk and cook until it begins to thicken. Add 2 tablespoon butter or margarine. Then add 1 tablespoon of flour dissolved in water and cook, stirring constantly until poppyseed is done. Cool. Cheese Filling. Take carton of cottage cheese and add it to the following streusel mixture: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter or margarine and mix until crumbly. Add 1 egg and 1 ts vanilla. Add 1 cup coconut and raisins, optional. Some streusel can be made and added on top of each kolache. Apricot Filling. Cook 8-oz package of dried apricots in a small amount of water slowly, being careful not to scorch it. When the apricots are soft, add 1 can drained peach slices and mash together. Add sugar to taste and a small amount of butter or margarine. Tapioca may be added as a thickener. This should be made a day or so ahead of time and allowed to set before using. Prune Filling. Mash about 2 cups cooked pitted prunes. Add sugar, cinnamon and melted butter; mix well. From. A Key To Good Cooking, The Hillje Altar Society, Hillje, TX.
more kolache fillings and icings: Poppyseed Filling Put 1/4 lb. freshly ground poppy seed into a small pan, add 1/2 cup or less of water to moisten and cook through a little. When thickened, pour enough milk, about 1/2 cup, to cover. Continue cooking slowly for about 10 minutes being careful that it does not scorch. Stir frequently! Add 1 T. butter, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. If the mixture is too soft, add crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers. Prune filling 16 oz. package of pitted prunes 1 c water 1/2 c. sugar 1 t. lemon juice 1 t. lemon rind 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. allspice Cook prunes with sugar in the water using low heat. Stir constantly (a potato masher is useful for this task) until smooth and thick. Add lemon juice and spices. May be prepared before starting kolach dough and stored in a freezer. Apricot filling 16 oz. package of dry apricots 1 c. water 1/2 c. sugar Cook as above, using dry apricots, instead of the prunes. Omit lemon juice, rind, cinnamon and allspice. Pineapple filling 13.5 oz. can of crushed pineapples 1/4 c. water 1/4 c. sugar 1 T. cornstarch (level) Cook until thick, stir in 2 T. butter while warm. Cool before using. Top with the following: 3/4 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, and 1/3 c. butter mixed together until ingredients are crumbly. Nut Filling 2 eggs 1/2 t. vanilla 3/4 c. sugar 2 c. ground nuts 1/4 c. butter Beat egg yolks and half of the sugar. Beat in the soft butter until quite stiff. Beat egg whites until stiff and add remaining sugar a little at a time. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Add vanilla and nut meats. For a crunch topping: 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 T. butter and 1/8 t. cinnamon mixed together until ingredients are crumbly. Cottage Cheese filling 1 lb. cottage cheese 2 egg yolks mixed with 3 T. butter a little grated lemon rind 1/2 t. vanilla sugar to taste 1/2 c. raisins which have been rinsed in hot water Mix all ingredients together. If the cheese was not the real dry kind, you may add a little cream of wheat to thicken it. This mixture should stand a while. May be prepared before starting kolach dough. Apple, Cherry or Blueberry filling Use the pie fillings available in 21 oz. (1 lb. 5 oz.) 595 grams cans. If the apples slices are too large, just cut them into smaller pieces. Apple filling: Cook sweetened apples until thick. Flavor with cinnamon or grated lemon rind. Add a pinch of salt and Tbsp of butter for each cupful of apples. Place spoonful in hollow of Kolache and sprinkle with coconut or chopped pecans. Coconut filling: 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed in cup) 1/2 cup coconut 3 Tbsp butter Mix together. Cottage Cheese filling: 4 cups of well drained cottage cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt Mix well. Add enough thick cream to make like thick jam. Fill Kolache and let rise and bake. Ice after baking and sprinkle with coconut. Will fill 4 doz. or more Kolaches. Apple Fruit filling: 2 cup chopped apples 1 cup raisins 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Boil about 15 minutes until thick as mincemeat. Cool before using. Homemade Poppy seed filling: 1 cup ground poppy seed 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup sugar Blend all ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool before filling Kolache. Will fill one dozen or more. For a crunch topping: 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp butter 1/8 tsp cinnamon mixed together until ingredients are crumbly. Homemade Prune filling: Cook 1 lb. prunes until very tender, remove seeds and sweeten to taste. Add 1/8 tsp cloves and grated rind of 1/2 lemon, if the flavor is desired. Cook until quite thick. (A little vanilla improves the taste.) Toppings Posipka (Streusel): 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of Kolache before baking. (Much improved by addition of a few chopped nuts or coconut). Simple Icing: 1/2 lb. powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Sweet cream, enough to make thin enough to spread with a spoon. To be applied after Kolache is cool. For extra glamour, add few chopped pecans or shredded coconut after icing. For a crunch topping: 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp butter 1/8 tsp cinnamon Mix together until ingredients are crumbly. Homemade Prune filling: Cook 1 lb. prunes until very tender, remove seeds and sweeten to taste. Add 1/8 tsp cloves and grated rind of 1/2 lemon, if the flavor is desired. Cook until quite thick. (A little vanilla improves the taste.) Posipka (Streusel Topping): 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/3 cup melted butter Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of Kolache before baking. (Much improved by addition of a few chopped nuts or coconut). Simple Icing: 1/2 lb. powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Sweet cream, enough to make thin enough to spread with a spoon. To be applied after Kolache is cool. Add few chopped pecans or shredded coconut after icing if desired
here are the fillings that the kolache factory puts in its kolaches (your imagination can run wild stuffing these things): Kolaches EACH DOZEN Sausage .68 7.34 Ham & Swiss Cheese .99 10.69 Bacon & Cheddar Cheese .99 10.69 Fruit - Strawberry, Peach, Apple, Cherry, Poppyseed, Blueberry, Pineapple, Lemon or Apricot .79 8.53 Cream Cheese .79 8.53 Chocolate Cream .89 9.61 Italian Chicken 1.29 13.93 Bar-B-Q Beef 1.10 11.88 Philly Cheese Steak 1.35 14.64 Pepperoni & Mushroom 1.15 12.48 Jalapeno & Cheese .95 10.32 Sausage & Cheese 1.19 12.85 Rancheros (Ham, Egg, Cheese & Jalapeno) 1.67 18.04 Bacon, Egg & Cheese 1.67 18.04 Sausage, Egg & Cheese 1.67 18.04 Club (Ham, Turkey, Bacon & Cheese) 1.67 18.04 Party Tray - 3 Dozen (6 each Sausage, Sausage & Cheese, Ham & Cheese, Bacon & Cheese, Fruit, Cream Cheese) Substitutions at additional charge
