Kolache recipe

KOLACHES

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups warm (room temperature) milk

2 (1/4 oz / 7gram) packages dry active yeast--quick rise works well.

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 tablespoon salt (no kidding)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 1/2 + cups of all purpose flour

2 cans of pie filling (cherries, apricots, apples, blueberries, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Move oven racks to the lowest 2 positions.

2. Put a cookie sheet of warm water on the bottom rack.

3. Heat oven to "warm" setting (less than 200) and turn off.

4. Warm milk to room temperature and add yeast. Stir and then let sit.

5. Beat together sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, and egg yolks.

6. Add milk/yeast mixture and beat together.

7. Mix flour with other ingredients until it is smooth but a little sticky. You may need up to a cup of extra flour.

8. Grease a large bowl and pour/scape dough into it.

9. Put the bowl of dough above the cookie sheet into the oven.

10. Let it rise until it's doubled in size, about an hour.

11. Grease baking sheets

12. When the dough has risen, remove it from the oven and punch it down.

13. Turn oven to 375.

14. Using a tablespoon, make balls slightly larger than a golf ball with the dough, dip in flour and shape into smooth balls with your hands. Place balls on baking sheets several inches apart. Spray balls with cooking spray or brush with melted crisco to keep the dough from cracking. Allow balls to rise to about double in size, not too much. I find that by the time I get the last ball rolled, the first ones have usually risen enough to start working the next steps with.

15. Flatten balls with hands and, with your thumbs, press and stretch the dough in the center to make the indents. Do not tear the dough.

16. Add the filling. (Wal-Mart brand fruit filling is mostly gel and a little fruit. Get something else.)

17. Bake for 9-11 minutes, checking regularly, until barely brown. If your oven heats unevenly, you may need to rotate the trays while baking.

18. If desired, drizzle with frosting (recipe below).

This recipe yields 35 to 40 rolls.

*Remember to store in airtight containers soon after baking.

*They'll stay fresh for 2-3 days.

*Jessica M. says that you can freeze them.

*To add moisture if they've dried out a little, warm in the microwave on a damp paper towel.

*The recipe yields a lot, but remember that they're fun to give away!

DRIZZLE-ABLE FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk + extra if needed

1 tablespoon melted butter