Kolace

Mary Scheffert's Note:

Pronounced "KO-la-chay" - this is a traditional Czechoslovakian recipe that my grandmother always made. She made them so often that she knew this recipe by heart. My favorite filling was poppyseed.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 3 hrs
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 48-60

Yield: 48.0 kolaces

• 4 cups flour
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• fresh lemon rind (for flavoring) or vanilla (for flavoring) or mace (for flavoring)
• 1 package dry yeast , proofed
• solo brand filling , any flavor
• vanilla sugar

Crumb Mixture

• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons butter
• ½ teaspoon mace

Directions:

1. Bring milk to a boil.
2. Add butter, sugar& salt; mix& let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Stir eggs, proofed yeast& flavoring of choice into the milk mixture.
4. Place milk mixture into bowl of mixer, fitted with paddle attachment.
5. Sift in enough flour to make a thick batter.
6. Change mixer attachment to a dough hook.
7. Continue adding flour, until mixture forms a soft dough.
8. Turn dough out onto floured surface, and knead into a smooth dough that does not stick.
9. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover& let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
10. Punch dough down.
11. Cut dough into even, egg-sized pieces.
12. Work each piece of dough into a 3inch circle in palm of hand with fingers of other hand.
13. Place about 1/2tsp of filling in the middle; draw up sides of dough around filling& pinch FIRMLY to seal.
14. Place each kolace on a well-greased cookie sheet, approx 2 inches apart.
15. Cover& let rise again in a warm place.
16. While kolace are rising, mix together the ingredients for the crumb topping.
17. Once risen, brush with beaten egg mixed with 1T milk.
18. Preheat oven to 400.
19. Sprinkle kolace with crumb mixture.
20. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
21. Remove kolace from pan& cool completely on a wire rack.
22. When cool, dust liberally with vanilla sugar.