Poppy Seed Kolaches Food

POPPY SEED KOLACHE

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and nutmeg or mace in a large mixing bowl: Set aside.
• Make the dough: In a medium saucepan heat and stir the 1 cup milk, the 1/2 cup butter, the granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120°F to 130°F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with the two eggs and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and as much of the remaining flour as you can.
• Knead dough and let rise: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (for 1 to 1-1/2 hours).
• Prepare filling: If you are making the poppy seed filling from scratch, combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until it thickens, stirring often. Set filling aside to cool.
• Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface: Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Second rise: Place on well greased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 35 minutes).
• Brush with egg wash: Brush with an egg wash made with one egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk.

OLD-FASHIONED KOLACHES

Steps:

• Scald milk. Add sugar and butter and stir to dissolve. Allow it to cool to warm, then add the yeast and let it begin to work. Add eggs.
• Put milk mix in a large mixing bowl. Measure the flour and salt into another bowl.
• With a mixer slowly work the flour mix into the dough bowl. When the dough becomes too thick for the mixer to handle, start working in the flour by hand.
• When dough starts to come together and leave the sides of the bowl, it's just right.
• Form the dough into a ball and cover. Let rise in warm place until double its size.
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently until it comes together and is soft and elastic.
• Divide dough into egg-size pieces. Flatten and form into square or round. Make a depression in the center with your floured thumb.
• Fill the depression with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling. Let the filled kolaches rise about 20 minutes. Brush tops with beaten egg mixed with a little milk and sugar.
• Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Sprinkle you fresh out-of-the-oven kolaches with powdered sugar before serving.
• FILINGS:
• Apricot: Place 1 lb dried apricots in a pan with cool water. Let soak several hours. Bring to slow simmer and add sugar to taste. Cook until very soft. Stir to get a smooth consistency.
• Prune: Made the same way as the apricot filling.
• Pineapple: Simmer well drained canned, crushed pineapple until it thickens.
• Poppy seed: 1/2 lb ground poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Add enough milk to make a thick mis. Let stand overnight to absorb the liquid.
• Cream cheese: 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp sour cream. Mix together until smooth.
• Sausage: Take a small piece of sausage and wrap dough around the piece and bake.
• You can use just about any fruit filling in the kolaches, just don't use jam or jelly. They liquefy with the heat in the oven.

CZECH KOLACHES WITH FILLED POPPY SEED, CREAMY PEACH, OR PRUNE

Steps:

• FOR THE PASTRY: In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the lukewarm water. Set the bowl aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, milk, and salt, combining well. Stir in the dissolved yeast and the flour, and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a soft dough. Cover the dough with a towel, and set the dough aside to rise to about double in size, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While the dough rises, choose and prepare one of the three fillings.
• Grease a baking sheet. Pinch off pieces of dough about one and a half times the size of a golf ball, flatten the balls slightly, and transfer them to the baking sheet. Place the balls at least 1 inch apart, and brush them liberally with the melted butter. Set them aside to double in size again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• With your thumb, gently indent the top of the dough. Make the holes especially deep if you plan to use the poppyseed or creamy peach filling. Spoon in a couple of teaspoons of filling, and, with the poppyseed or creamy peach versions, coax the dough over the filling. Let the kolaches rest again for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F Bake the kolaches for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are golden brown.
• Remove the pan from the oven immediately brush the kolaches with more butter, and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar. Transfer them to a rack, and let them cool.
• The kolaches should be tender somewhat like a light butter Danish. They're best eaten the day they're made. Makes 3 dozen.
• FOR THE CREAMY PEACH FILLING: Drain the cottage cheese in a sieve or cheesecloth for 30 to 45 minutes. Squeeze any accumulated liquid from the cheese. Mix the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• FOR THE PRUNE FILLING: Put the prunes into a saucepan, and cover them with water. Add the vanilla, and simmer until the prunes have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and pit the prunes, and chop them in a food processor with the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Or chop the prunes by hand, and then add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• FOR THE POPPYSEED FILLING: To make the poppyseed filling, stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• Grind the poppyseeds in a blender with about half the milk. Place the poppyseed mixture and the remaining milk in a large, heavy saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir in the reserved sugar and cornstarch mixture and the almond extract. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick-a matter of a few minutes.
• NOTE: Some kolache recipes call for "proofing" the yeast in milk, but the fat in milk can actually hinder the yeast's development. It's best to "proof" the yeast in water first and then to add milk later for tenderness.
• You can make kolaches with sausage or almost any type of cooked fruit filling. Don't use jelly, though, because it's too runny. The fruit needs to be cooked to fruit butter consistency.
• Make the center depressions carefully so the bread doesn't go flat.
• Enclose cheese based fillings, like the creamy peach, and poppyseed fillings totally with dough. Stiffer fillings like prune can peer out the top.
• Don't skimp on the amount of butter brushed on the dough.
• Texas Home Cooking.

POPPY SEED KOLACHES

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the next seven ingredients and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Shape into walnut-size balls; roll each into a 2-1/2-in. circle. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets; brush with butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring poppy seeds and water to a boil; boil 1 minute or until thickened. Add milk and raisins; simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the graham cracker crumbs. , Make a depression, about 1-1/2 in. in diameter, in the center of each roll; fill with 2 teaspoons of filling. Bake at 400° for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Drizzle with glaze if desired.

BOHEMIAN KOLACHES WITH FOUR FILLINGS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water until foamy.
• Heat milk, pour over butter and sugar. Stir until melted. Add 2 cups flour, then beat until smooth.
• Add yeast, eggs and salt. Add flour until a soft ball forms. Grease top; let.
• rise. Punch down and let rise again.
• Stretch dough on floured board to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a soup can. Put on greased pans and let rise.
• When nice and puffy, make indentations in center and fill with favorite filling like prune, apricot, cottage cheese or poppy seed. When risen to a nice puffy look, bake at 375 degrees F until a golden color - cook 15 minutes then check every 3 minutes thereafter.
• Prune Filling:.
• Cook prunes until soft. Grind and add sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir well.
• Apricot Filling:.
• Cook apricots until soft. Grind and add sugar. Sweeter is better. Stir well.
• Cottage Cheese Filling:.
• Put cottage cheese in blender. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, nutmeg and 4 tablespoons flour and blend some more. Take out of blender and add raisins. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour and sugar.
• Poppy Seed Filling:.
• Mix together. Use enough cream to make it easier to put into kolaches.