Cranberry Kolaches Food

CRANBERRY RUGELACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 3 minutes or until smooth. Divide into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a ball; flatten into a 4-in. circle. Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour., In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cranberries, walnuts, melted butter, cinnamon and allspice. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough into an 8-in. circle. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Cut into 8 wedges. , Roll up wedges from the wide end and place point side down 2 in. apart on foil-lined baking sheets. Curve ends to form a crescent shape. Brush with egg; sprinkle with additional sugar. , Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

STRAWBERRY KOLACHES

Steps:

• To make topping, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, vanilla in a mixer and blend thoroughly. Set aside in refrigerator.
• Heat sour cream in a saucepan on stovetop until warm. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt and margarine and let cool. Dissolve yeast into warm water according to package directions and add to sour cream mixture. Add 2 eggs and flour then mix well. (Do not knead the dough.) Put dough in greased bowl, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove dough from the refrigerator and work into balls and place them in a pan. Flatten dough balls to 1/2-inch, grease with margarine and let dough rise for about 10 minutes. Make indentations in dough and add cream cheese topping, then top with 1 teaspoon strawberry preserves. Continue to let dough balls rise until they've doubled in size. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes until they become lightly browned.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE KOLACHE

Steps:

• For the dough: In a sauce pan, melt the butter. When melted, whisk in the milk, then pour into a mixer bowl. Add the yeast, flour, sugar, egg yolks and salt to the bowl and mix on low until the mixture is fully incorporated. Then turn the mixer up slightly and knead until the dough is smooth. Portion the dough into 2-ounce balls immediately and set aside to proof until the dough is soft and supple, about 30 minutes.
• For the cream cheese filling: Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer. Clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the egg yolks and mix until combined. Add the cottage cheese and combine by hand.
• For the raspberry filling: Combine the crushed raspberries, sugar and both juice concentrates in a sauce pan and bring slowly to a boil. While the raspberries come to a boil, dissolve the cleargel into 1/4 cup cold water. Remove the boiling raspberries from the heat and slowly whisk in the cleargel slurry until thick. Set aside to cool.
• Building the raspberry cream cheese kolache: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• When the dough is soft and plump, use fingers to form a well in each, leaving a thicker wall of dough around the circumference and a flatter portion in the middle. Fill piping bags with both the raspberry and cream cheese fillings. Using the piping bags, fill the flattened portions with a combination of the fillings.
• When completed, bake the kolaches until golden brown, or 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

STRAWBERRY KOLACHES

Steps:

• For the dough:.
• Heat the sour cream over low heat until it is warm. Stir in the sugar, salt, and margarine; transfer to a bowl and cool.
• Sprinkle the yeast over warm water; let it stand until the yeast is dissolved, then add to the sour cream mixture. Add the eggs and flour and mix well. Put the dough in a greased bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• For the topping:.
• Combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the strawberries. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, form the dough into 36 balls, and place them on a greased baking sheet, leaving room for them to double in size. Flatten each to about 1/2" height, and let rise for about 10 minutes. Make indentations in the dough with your finger. Put a little strawberry topping in each indentation. Let them rise until double in size (time will vary according to conditions).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, brush the tops of the dough around the filling with melted butter, and bake kolaches for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

MEATBALL SUB KOLACHES

Steps:

• To make the dough, in a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, granulated sugar, and yeast. Stir in the warm milk until well-combined, and set aside until small bubbles form at the surface, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg yolks, and salt. Add to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, adding a cup at a time. After the third cup has been added, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour as needed. The dough should be tacky and a little greasy. It shouldn't be sticky. If it is, add more flour a little at a time, but try not to add too much at this stage. Knead until smooth and springy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with cooking spray or brush with oil. Set aside.
• To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, stir the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley, cloves, granulated garlic, granulated onion, dried oregano, dried basil and crushed red pepper flakes until just combined. You don't want to overwork the mixture. Divide and shape into twelve even meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven to cool.
• Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead a few times to release the air. Divide into 12 even pieces (roughly about 2 1/3 ounces each). Working with one at a time, pull the ends of the dough towards the center to form a tight ball and then place on your work surface (no flour should be needed at this stage) and using a cupping motion firmly roll the dough with the palm of your hand to create a smooth tight ball. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Continue shaping and rolling the rest of the dough, placing them all on the same baking sheet, evenly spacing them out. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for another 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Once done, use your finger tips (lightly greased to prevent sticking) to stretch the center of each slightly to create 2-inch-wide wells. Brush with egg wash and then fill the center of each with about a tablespoon of marinara. Sprinkle the centers with mozzarella and parmesan. Place a meatball in the center of each kolache. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheated before serving. Enjoy!