In Retrospect

When they were finally finished and I had the kitchen cleaned, I had to ask myself why I wanted to spend three hours making kolaches on a Sunday afternoon.  Was it because...

a.  It was more fun than an afternoon nap?
b.  I wanted crank up the heat with a 450 degree oven in 90 degree weather?
c.  I love the look and feel of gooey dough-webbed fingers?
d.  I didn't mind ruining the $12 manicure that I just got on Friday? 
e.  Nostalgia?

Definitely nostalgia.  When I was young, Mom would sometimes make kolaches when she made bread, and we loved them!  Mom and I were recently reminiscing about that, and I remembered I have this kolache recipe that uses a dinner roll dough, which makes them even better. These Czech pastries are simply the dough shaped and filled with fruit preserves and baked until lightly browned.  We like to drizzle icing on them, since the dough is not very sweet. 


1 3/4 cup scalded milk
4 T. shortening
1/4 cup sugar
2 t. salt
2 pkg. yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
3 beaten eggs
5 cups flour


Scald the milk, then add the shortening, sugar, and salt.  Cool.  Add yeast, beaten eggs, flour, and beat well.  Let dough rest for 1/2 hour.  Add just enough flour to knead.  Let dough raise to double in bulk.  Punch down.  Let the dough raise again.  Divide dough into 2 dozen balls.  Put each ball on greased cookie sheets and make an indentation in the center of each.  Fill center with preserves.  Bake at 450 degrees for about 6 minutes.  Frost after baking, if desired.