DESSERT - Kolaches

By juliekutil

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1/2 cup luke warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 oz. compressed yeast
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups milk (scalded and cooled to luke warm)
• 1 cup melted lard
• 1 T salt
• 7 to 8 cups flour
• Poppy seed filling:
• 1 cup poppy, ground fine
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Prune filling:
• 1 pound large prunes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Dough:
Combine water, sugar and yeast. Add eggs, salt and milk. Add half of the flour and mix to a smooth batter. Then add melted lard and mix until smooth. Add two more cups of flour and mix until smooth. Then add remaining flour to make a soft dough. Set in a warm place to raise until double in bulk. Form into small balls about the size of medium walnuts and place on baking sheets about three inches apart. Let raise until double in size, then press down in the center and work to outer edge of ball leaving a ridge around outer edge. Brush with whole egg beaten and fill center will prune or poppy seed filling. Let raise again and bake in hot oven, 475 degrees, until golden brown.

Poppy seed filling:
Bring milk to a boil, add salt and poppy seed. Add sugar and cook slowly about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and cinnamon. Cool. Then spread on kolaches.

Prune filling:
Cook prunes covered with water until tender. Cool. Pit the prunes and put through a food chopper. Add sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well. Spread on kolaches.

*Note: to garnish kolaches, roll two graham crackers until fine. Add 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. soft butter. Work like pie crust and put in small daubs in center of kolaches.