Slovak Kolacky Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• COOKIE DOUGH_____________ Allow cream cheese and butter to soften to room temperature Mix till well Blended.
• Add Flour a little at a time and mix in till well blended.
• Divide into balls. one ball for each filling you will make and wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Using one ball at a time, Roll out square about 1/8 inch thick on board sprinkled with flour or confectioners sugar or a combination. You can cut the dough into 2 inch squares and place a little filling on each square and fold the dough over. As a time saver, I place a little filling in a line across the bottom of the dough and roll till filling is covered. Should be about 1/2 inch in diameter (or a little more).
• With a knife, cut through the dough at that point and cut the roll into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Then place a little filling in a line across what is now the bottom and repeat steps.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.
• (I found that they were better if I turned them over after about 10 minutes) Check them at 10 and see how they are doing on the bottom.
• Cool for a couple of minutes then place on wire rack to cool.
• FILLING A (walnut) Mix ingredients until blended.
• FILLING B (Lekvar) Simmer ingredients (except brown sugar) covered for 25-30 minutes until very soft and most of the water is evaporated Uncover last few minutes if necessary remove from heat and mash Stir in brown sugar will keep in refrigerator for a long time in a covered jar Lekvar can be purchased in the Jewish section of grocery store already made.
• FILLING C (Apricot or Peach) Place fruit in medium saucepan and cover with water until about an inch over the fruit bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 35- 45 minutes until very tender mash until fruit is smooth Add cinnamon and vanilla add 1/2 cup sugar to taste-- and more if desired.
• FILLING D (Cream Cheese). Allow Cream Cheese to soften to room temperature. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
• FILLING E (Pineapple). Combine, Cook until thick, cool.
• FILLING F (Cherry-Choc-nut). Chop cherries in food processor until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
• FILLING G (poppyseed) -- Mix together and set aside till milk is absorbed and mixture is cooled.

Steps:

• Prepare Fillings and topping desired and set aside until ready to use.
• For Posypka Topping mix all ingredients together until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• For Poppyseed Filling Combine poppyseeds, sugar and milk, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.
• Add butter, then flour which has been dissolved in a little bit of water.
• Cook, stirring constantly until poppyseed is done, at least 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool before use.
• Leftover filling can be frozen.
• For Cabbage Filling Fry the cabbage in the butter until soft.
• Add the salt, black pepper, sugar and flour, and fry until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
• For Prune Filling Place the prunes in a bowl and cover them completely with boiling water.
• Let them sit overnight (or at least 6 hours) to rehydrate.
• Drain the liquid off and mash prunes thoroughly with a fork or run them through a food processor.
• Add the cinnamon, sugar, and lemon zest.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Fills 24 kolaches.
• For Apricot Filling Cook a 10 ounce package of dried apricots slowly in enough water to cover until fruit is soft and water is cooked out.
• Do not cover or fruit turns dark.
• Add 1 1/2 cups sugar or more to taste and mash with a potato masher until well blended.
• Filling for about 2 dozen kolaches.
• For Cottage Cheese Filling Mix all ingredients together until blended.
• If cheese is too moist, add very finely rolled crackers, about 10 or 12 to absorb liquid.
• If using country-style cottage cheese, cream cheese can be omitted or used for added flavor, according to taste.
• If using cottage cheese as a filling, be sure to enclose cheese in the dough.
• Spread dough balls out, place cheese in the middle and pinch all sides together to seal completely.
• Place sealed side down on the greased pan and butter the pastry.
• Let rise until light, sprinkle with topping and bake.
• For cream Cheese Filling Soften the cream cheese.
• Beat remaining ingredients together with cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
• Filling for about 2 dozen kolaches.
• To Make Dough And assemble Kolaches Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a tall glass, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and set aside to proof.
• In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter, add egg yolks and salt and mix well.
• Add the dissolved yeast, 1 cup of the flour and mix slowly with an electric mixer.
• Add the milk and continue adding as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a wooden spoon.
• Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough.
• Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, turn once to grease surface.
• Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Pinch off egg size portions and roll into a ball using the palm of your hands in circular motion.
• Place about 1 inch apart on greased pans.
• Brush kolaches with melted butter, cover with a cloth and let rise until light, about 1 hour.
• Use your fingers to make an indentation in each ball and fill each opening with about 1 tablespoon of filling.
• Sprinkle with posypka topping (optional) and let rise again for 20 minutes.
• Bake in a preheated 425ºF oven for about 10-15 minutes.
• Brush kolaches with melted butter as they come out of the oven.

Steps:

• Work cream cheese, butter, flour and salt as for pie crust. Moisten with milk. Knead lightly until smooth.
• Divide dough into 4 balls. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours.
• Sprinkle some flour and granulated sugar on board. Roll out each ball fairly thin and cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.
• Place 1 teaspoon of filling in center and squeeze 2 opposite corners together.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown.
• When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Mix softened cream cheese, softened butter, baking powder, and egg yolks with a pastry blender.
• Mix in sour cream and sift in flour.
• Add vanilla and knead the dough until your hands are clean (i.e. it all sticks together and is a uniform mixture).
• Roll into 1/4 cup balls and refrigerate overnight (~8 hrs).
• Prepare the filling (if store-bought, skip this step). Beat the egg white until it is foamy. Mix with crushed walnuts, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Store in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Roll dough flat, using flour to prevent sticking to surface and rolling pin. Only remove what dough from the refrigerator that you are currently rolling (leave the rest of the dough balls in the fridge to keep firm).
• Use a square-shaped cookie cutter to cut squares out of the dough. Place a little filling in the middle of the square. Then pinch 2 opposite corners together. Fold this over and pinch again. (This step is a bit of a personal preference, there are many different ways to shape and fill kolacky).
• Bake 9-12 minutes on a non-stick pan, or until light brown.

Steps:

• Let butter soften in a bowl.
• When very soft mix butter and cottage cheese together.
• Add salt and sugar.
• Add flour last and mix by hand. To get dough to the consistency of pie dough.
• Put the dough in wax paper in the refrigerator overnight.
• If you want to bake it today leave the dough in the refrigerator at least for 3 hours.
• Then take it out and divide it into 3 parts.
• Take 1 part of the dough and put it on a floured table. Flatten the dough to a 1/8 of inch thick.
• Then take a small juice glass and cut round circle in the dough. (Put some flour on the rim of the glass if the dough start to stick). Take your thumb and make a dent in the middle of the dough. Fill it with apricot or any jam.
• Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.