Christmas Kolaches !

[Baja Margie]

1 package active dry yeast
2 TBSP. lukewarm water
4 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
1 Cup lukewarm milk
1 tsp. salt
1 stick soft butter
1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs
Melted butter
Powdered Sugar
Walnuts & Coconut

Prune filling:
1 & 1/2 cups dried pitted prunes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Make sure everything is warm. This recipe makes about 30 kolaches, double it for 60. You can freeze them too.

In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir to dissolve, then add the milk. Sift the flour with the salt. Work in 1/2 the flour and beat until smooth.

Cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar. When light and fluffy, blend into the first mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Work in the remaining flour by hand. Add only enough flour to make a light dough.

Place the dough in a butter greased bowl. Grease the top of the dough with some melted butter, and cover. Let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down, then turn out on a floured board and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles ( You can use the top of a drinking glass) and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on a buttered baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1/2 hour.

With thumb, make a deep depression in the center of each roll and fill with prune filling and a walnut. Let rise another 10 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks and brush the buns with melted butter. Sprinkle with coconut and dust with powdered sugar.

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To make the filling, cook and drain the prunes. Mash with a fork. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. What I do is make the fruit filling the night before, and refrigerate it.

You can also fill these with solo poppy seed filling, cherry preserves and apricot filling. Make the apricot filling the same, except delete the cinnamon.

These are so good you guys, an old farm recipe from the Muff Farm (my mom's) in Nebraska. Best bottomland alongside the Blue River. It's an all day thing, have fun !!!

[Blue Gardener]

1. Are you from the Midwest?

I know many parts of the country have never heard of Kolaches. We have a large Czech community in this area, so I've been eating Kolaches since I was a kid. Yummmm.

[Baja Margie]

2. No,

I was born & raised in San Diego. But my Mom & Dad were; she was from a family of 12 kids on a farm outside the town of Crete, close to Milford. We would visit every year at Christmas & Summer, many good trips across the USA, and we were so jealous of our cousins ! They were they Muffs, who had married the Patz's. The Muff boys actually were in a shipwreck off the coast of South America on route to America and made their way to Nebraska. The Patz's were from Berlin, married to the Hoosenstiens from Bern, Switzerland. My Dad was pure Irish, his grandfather was Judge Barnes of South Dakota, the hanging Judge.

Anyway, I still remember running through the corn fields, what great memories.

[Eurobabe]

3. Dang Margie, you are a FONT of recipe wisdom

Guess I am going to have to post my Kiflies recipe, secret family thing from my first cousin's grandma, she was from Hungary. Tomorrow when there is a lull...

[scarlet_owl]

4. My mother makes those and they are sooooo good!

She got the recipe from her mother-in-law. I especially like the apricot ones.