My mother was a third generation American but a full blooded Czech. Growing up with subtle reminders of your own ethnic subset is common and even endearing as you get older. As a child, it was not uncommon to have Jaternice(Pronounced “ethernitze”) or Klobása sausage and sauerkraut or knedlíky (potato dumplings).
Kolaches are a traditional Bohemian pastry normally made with yeast with a filling made from prune, apricot, or cheese. For simplicity, this recipe is sans yeast and I even cheated by using pre-prepared pie filling.(GASP!) Think of it as a faster way to enjoy the end result.
The Dough
Ingredients
- 1c Butter (2 sticks), softened
- 6oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 3/4c Sugar
- 2c Flour
Directions
- Cream the butter and cream cheese together thoroughly. 5 minutes on a mixer is not out of the question.
- Add the sugar and mix well.
- Add the flour and mix well. Take note: the dough should be stiff you if your mixer sucks, do it by hand.
- She the dough into a ball and then set, bowl and all in the refrigerator to shill for 1 hr. This will help solidify it for rolling.
The Pastry
- Well flour a cotton dish towel or cutting board and cut the dough ball in half.
- Take that half of a dough ball and roll it out on the surface to 1/8 inch thickness.
- Cut the rolled dough into squares somewhere between 2×2 and 4×4 inches. The larger, the more filling you can fit in each. Some people like them petite and some people like them bigger.
- Dab a 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp of filling in the center of your squares.
- Gently gather all 4 corners of the square together at the top and pinch them together. Then push the pinched part down to flare out the 4 slits between the gathered sides.(You’ll be able to see the filling then)
- Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 15 to 17 minutes.
Options:
- Gather only 2 sides together overlapping leaving the kolache longer and more open.(Your filling might run more so don’t overfill)
- Once cooled you can drizzle a simple vanilla icing over the top for an extra sweet treat.