What are kolaches?
Kolaches are a sweet, fruit-filled pastry originating from the Czech Republic. They became especially popular in Texas and other states with heavy Czech immigrant populations. The name comes from the Czech word “kola,” which means “wheels,” and references the round shape of the delicious pastries.
Ingredients:
- ½ pound of margarine/butter
- 1 ⅓ cups cottage cheese
- 2 cups flour
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Filling (our favorites are apricot, cherry, and apple pie fillings but you can also use jam, jelly, and Nutella!)
Cookware:
- 6 or 8 qt mixing bowl with lid (or plastic wrap)
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Serrated knife
- Sifter for powdered sugar
- Baking sheet (18×26)(15×21)
- Baking mat
Instructions:
1. Mix margarine, cottage cheese, flour, salt, and sugar in a larger mixing bowl.
2. Let dough sit covered overnight in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Roll out dough as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. Sprinkle flour on the rolling surface and rolling pin so the dough does not stick to them.
4. Score into squares (about 3 inch squares).
5. Place a “blob” of filling in the middle of each square (about a ½ tablespoon).
6. Fold the diagonal corners of the square inwards toward one another – slightly overlapping the edge.
7. Using lightly beaten egg whites as a “glue,” dip your fingers in the egg whites and press/pinch the overlapping corners together.
8. Place on baking sheets (use parchment paper if not non-stick).
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min, until the tops are golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven, and move from cookie sheets to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
11. Store in an airtight container.
About this Recipe
Baking has an obviously positive connotation for most people. I’m not a baker – beyond what I do with my children – but every time I do bake, whether it’s something as simple as a cookie mix or something more detailed like a decorated cake, I find comfort. I find youthful joy and I reconnect with the memories embedded in my recollections from baking with my mom and my two grandmas. I was blessed to be surrounded by strong, loving, generous women who recognized the importance of spending time baking, reading, and playing with me.
My paternal grandma would make kolaches, a sweet pastry that holds a dollop of fruit, with my brothers and I as we were growing up. She would make the dough the night before, and it would be ready for us to “bake” the next morning. It was a very time consuming process; both the prep and the actual baking! There was always a lot of flour involved – and then powdered sugar at the end as well, so we would end our baking sessions a big mess!
Kolaches were a special occasion dessert, and they never lasted long! When I moved out of state after my college graduation, my grandma would prepare a care package for me full of kolaches each time I made my way home for a visit. Or she would send a batch of kolaches with whomever was traveling out my way. It brought a little piece of home and comfort to me.
My brothers and I are about half a generation older than our cousins. Therefore, my grandma was “younger” during our childhood than my cousins – but making the kolaches from scratch is a memory all of us share. And, while the kolaches were delicious, the memories, as always, are most important.
Fruit-Filled Kolaches (Sweet Pastries)
Equipment
- 6 or 8 qt. mixing bowl with lid (or plastic wrap)
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- serrated knife
- sifter for powdered sugar
- Baking sheet (18x26 or 15x21)
- baking mat
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. margarine or butter
- 1 1/3 cups cottage cheese
- 2 cups flour
- salt to taste
- sugar to taste
- filling (our favorites are apricot, cherry, and apple pie fillings but you can also use jam, jelly, and Nutella)
Instructions
- Mix margarine, cottage cheese, flour, salt, and sugar in a larger mixing bowl.
- Let dough sit covered overnight in the refrigerator to chill.
- Roll out dough as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. Sprinkle flour on the rolling surface and rolling pin so the dough does not stick to them.
- Score into squares (about 3 inch squares).
- Place a “blob” of filling in the middle of each square (about a ½ tablespoon).
- Fold the diagonal corners of the square inwards toward one another - slightly overlapping the edge.
- Using lightly beaten egg whites as a “glue,” dip your fingers in the egg whites and press/pinch the overlapping corners together.
- Place on baking sheets (use parchment paper if not non-stick).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min, until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, and move from cookie sheets to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container.
This recipe was submitted to Love What Matters by Shelley Kress. Join the Love What Matters family and subscribe to our newsletter.
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