The gifts are wrapped, the house is decorated, and the baking is done. This year I thought I’d take a break from making Kolaches for Christmas Day until I mentioned this to my family. WHAT? BREAKING FROM TRADITION? So, I will not break the tradition and made them today. The truth is I love them as much as my daughters and their families.
This year I used my Mother’s Foundation sweet dough which she used for cinnamon rolls and Kolaches. My KitchenAid mixer makes easy work of making bread instead of taxing my arthritic wrists. The past several batches of bread I’ve made from standard flour have been too dense, so I decided to try King Arthur’s unbleached bread flour. I loved the result with a very light sweet dough that melts in your mouth.
The cherry filling started with a bucket of frozen sour cherries I purchased at the Farmer’s Market last summer. 
There is nothing better than the taste of those cherries. Truly, I could eat a bowl of the cherry filling and forget the bread dough!
I also make a dozen chocolate kolaches which started as a request by one of son-in-laws, now a family favorite as well. I simply put chocolate chips (or this year a dove milk chocolate square) in the middle of the dough ball and then pinch it closed. Let it rise to double in size then bake. When you remove from the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Another tradition for our Christmas Day celebration is the Nordic Kringla. Turns out Kringla is a big hit with my 3 year old grandson and 1 year old granddaughter. My 6 week old grandson has yet to weigh in…but next year…
Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year!
CHERRY KOLACHES, our Christmas Day Tradition
Mom’s Foundation Sweet Dough
2 cakes (Packages) yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons shortening (I used unsalted butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6-7 cups flour (I used 6 cups King Arthur Bread Flour)
3 eggs, beaten
- Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in lukewarm water. Set aside to soften and rise.
- Scald milk. Add shortening, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm. Add 2 cups flour to make a batter. Add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs, and beat well.
- Add remaining flour or enough to make a soft dough. Knead lightly and place in greased bowl. Cover and let set in warm place, free from draft. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
- When light, punch dough down and shape in balls about the size of a walnut and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise.
- When risen, push the centers of balls down and fill with cherry filling (or filling of your choice). Let rise again.
- Bake at preheated 400 degree oven (375 degrees for convectional oven) for about 7 minutes or until golden brown.
Cherry Filling
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup juice from cherries
3 cups pitted tart red cherries (water pack)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
Combine 3/4 cup sugar with cornstarch. Stir in cherry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till mixture thickens and bubbles; cook 1 minute longer. Add remaining sugar, cherries, butter, and food coloring and cook until thickened. (Mixture will be very thick.) Let stand while preparing bread dough for Kolaches.
Reference:
KOLACHE … Bohemian Heritage and Christmas Tradition
