RECIPE: Kolachki!!

[Guest guest]

Thank goodness! I was flipping through my binder and not finding the

recipe and getting really nervous, but then I found it, whew! Anyway,

this recipe is from my mom's German great-grandma. It's not

difficult, but one batch makes a lot (I'm sorry I don't remember

exactly how many, but it's several dozen. The Christmas tradition has

always been to make a couple of double batches and all work together

for days. :-) You need to make the dough the night before and let is

proof in the fridge overnight. I'm adding as many comments as I can

because the recipe I have is extremely bare bones! :-)

 

Kolachki

 

6 c flour

3 yeast cakes (little moist cakes - couldn't find in FL, subbed 7 1/2

tsp instant dry and it worked fine)

3 c shortening (my mom always used Imperial margarine, I've used

several kinds)

2 c milk

6 egg yolks (no whites)

 

You'll also need lots of 10x (confectioner's sugar) to roll in, a

large bag of walnuts to grind for the filling, and brown sugar and

melted butter (also for the filling).

 

Break the yeast cakes up very fine over the flour (or sprinkle if it's

the dry stuff) and combine well. Add shortening and cut in very fine.

 

Combine yolks and milk, beat. Add to flour mix. Mix well with hands,

cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

Grind a large bag of walnut meats somewhat fine. Add a little brown

sugar and melted butter and mix until it's a nice consistency -

probably somewhat paste-like? Moist and sticking together, but not

drippy at all!

 

Sprinkle your work surface thickly with 10x sugar. Take a big fist or

so sized chunk of dough (leave the remainder in the fridge to stay

cold as this stuff gets really sticky when it warms up; a cold rolling

pin is good too) and roll out in the sugar, quite thinly. Using one

those cheap little paring knives you find at the grocery store, cut

the dough into small squares (maybe 2 1/2 " square or so). Take a

spoon and put some walnut stuff on it. Push a dab off the spoon into

the middle of each square, and have someone follow behind you, rolling

the squares up and placing them on a cookie sheet. A silicone

non-stick mat is perfect for this job, or use parchment on the pans.

 

Bake in a preheated 375* degree oven until golden ( " not long " is how

my mom put it - I think it's somewhere in the 8 to 12 minute

range...). While the first pan is baking continue with more chunks of

the dough and repeat until done!

 

They keep, but have never lasted long.

[Guest guest]

> Kolachki

 

PS These are *only* made at Christmas time...

[Guest guest]

--- we make kolaches at Christmas too : ). hubby's family is from

Czechoslovakia so it's always a treat to work on duplicating family

traditions at home. we use a slightly different recipe that makes a

tender dough made from mashed potatoes. hubby's favorite filling is

poppy seed while most others prefer cherry. my side is predominately

Norwegian so I also make my great-grandma's lefse recipe every year at

Christmas. I would love to put together a cooking scrapbook of family

recipes that have meaning and give as gifts-- but than again, so many

ideas, so little time : ). kolaches and lefse are definitely 2

Christmas traditions here.........

 

Anne

[Guest guest]

, " jandemommy "

<jandemommy> wrote:

>

> --- we make kolaches at Christmas too : ). hubby's family is from

> Czechoslovakia so it's always a treat to work on duplicating family

> traditions at home. we use a slightly different recipe that makes a

> tender dough made from mashed potatoes. hubby's favorite filling is

> poppy seed while most others prefer cherry. my side is predominately

> Norwegian so I also make my great-grandma's lefse recipe every year at

> Christmas. I would love to put together a cooking scrapbook of family

> recipes that have meaning and give as gifts-- but than again, so many

> ideas, so little time : ). kolaches and lefse are definitely 2

> Christmas traditions here.........

 

 

Anne - what are lefse??