One of the advantages to living in a multi-ethnic neighborhood was all the different kinds of foods and we decided early on, the next best thing to a cannoli was a koláče. The older Czechs would tease us with "You don't have Koláče without working for them" which is the Czech way of saying "You don't have a good life without working for it."
Koláče Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
6 Cups of Flour
1 Cup of Milk (Warmed)
¼ Cup of Oil
2 Tbs. of Butter
½ Cup of Sugar
1 Tsp. of Salt
2 Pkg. Yeast
2/3 Cups of Warm Water
2 Eggs
¼ Cup of Lemon Rind
1/8 Tsp. of Mace
Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, soften yeast in 2/3 cups of warm water and allow to froth (about 15 minutes).
Beat eggs until fully mixed. Add eggs, lemon rind, and mace to yeast.
Combine milk, oil, butter, sugar, and salt in a separate mixing bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add combined mixture to yeast mixture. Slowly add in flour, mixing well.
Allow dough to rise in mixing bowl (about twenty-five minutes).
Spoon out dough onto a floured bread board or a clean, flat, floured counter surface. Roll dough into small balls about two to three inches in diameter. Flatten dough ball and form into a two to three inch square shape.
Add a spoonful of desired filling to the center of the dough square, and then close dough over filling by pulling up the four corners of the square to meet in the center. Close the dough so that filling is almost completely enclosed in the dough (leave only a small slit for filling to peek through the top of the dough, if desired.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is pre-heating, allow filled dough to rise until doubled in size.
Bake on a greased baking pan at 350 degrees for twenty-five minutes.
Remove from oven, cool on a baker's rack. Serve warm or when completely cooled, and enjoy!
This recipe makes 4 to 5 dozen Koláčky.
The following recipes are for traditional fillings to help make your Koláče rich with old-world flavor but you can be creative and use your imagination.
Koláče Prune Filling
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. of Pit-less Dried Prunes (1 lb.)
1 Cup of Brown Sugar
½ Tsp. of Lemon Rind
Preparation:
In a medium-sized sauce pan, add fruit and enough water to cover fruit. Simmer on a medium heat until the fruit is tender.
Remove from heat. Drain prunes, reserving juice in a mixing bowl.
Use a meat grinder or food processor to mash prunes. Add sugar and lemon rinds to prune mash. If the mash is too thick, use a little of the reserved prune juice to thin.
Koláče Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. Cream Cheese (8 oz.)
2 Tbs. of Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup of White Raisins
1 Egg Yolk
Preparation:
Let Cream Cheese sit out until it is room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and egg yolk until blended well. Add sugar to mixture and blend well. Add raisins to mixture, mix evenly through.
Koláče Poppy seed Filling
Ingredients:
½ Cup of Milk
¼ Cup of Water
2/3 Cup of Sugar
1/3 Cup of Butter
½ Tsp. Vanilla
1 1/3 Cup of Ground Poppy seeds
Dash of Cinnamon
Preparation:
In a medium-size sauce pan, combine poppy seed, milk, and water. Heat over medium-high heat until poppy seed absorbs liquid completely, stirring occasionally.
Add sugar, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon to mix, stirring continuously until thoroughly mixed and remove from heat.
Koláče Apricot Filling
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. Pit-less Apricots (1 lb.)
1 Cup of White or Brown Sugar
½ Tsp. of Almond Extract
Preparation:
In a medium-sized sauce pan, add fruit and enough water to cover fruit. Simmer on a medium heat until the fruit is tender.
Remove from heat. Drain apricots (reserving juice in a mixing bowl).
Use a meat grinder or food processor to mash apricots. Add sugar and almond extract to apricot mash. If the mash is too thick, use a little of the reserved apricot juice to thin.