I am trying to expand my product line in my bakery and have heard that these are just wonderful and are so popular in my area. I have ordered a kolache mix from my supplier (which I have heard is wonderful) so now my question is - what and how do i put in the centers? anyone have some pointers for me? thanks in advance ya'll are GREAT!!

Traditionally apricot or prune, but as far as I'm concerned, that blank canvas is an excuse to go wild! (I'm having visions of blue cheese and pear, brie and apples...)

do I just put raw fruits and stuff in there? and I have heard about a cream cheese stuff in there how do I prepare that?

What is a kolache? Never heard of them till littlecake said she was going to make them.

I thought kolache was traditionally walnut or poppyseed fillings. Kieflie (sp?) (crescent shaped cookies) is apricot or prune and ground walnuts too. I know my sister has a traditional Hungarian walnut kolache recipe...I could ask her for it if you're interested.

Czech pastry, filled with essentially anything you can imagine, but most usually fruit or cheese. There's a similar recipe with meat filling, but I can't remember the name of it - veeeery similar to kolache, but I can't call it at the moment.

The fruit filling is more a compote of dried fruit. I'm sure you could also use jelly or jam, etc. Just google "kolache recipe" or "kolache filling" and see what pops up - I did that search and got a lot of good links.

thanks I will try that. just curious if anyone here has a fav. filling that i should try

I'm from Iowa where kolaches are very popular. (And I have to admit the idea of a kolache mix is a little shocking, around here the dough is always from scratch.)
I should also admit that my kolaches always seem to come out a little taller than others I've had (though everyone says they taste good), so hopefully others will add to this.
1) If you're making your own fillings, prepare them ahead of time so they have time to cool. I usually use the premade fillings that you can get in the plastic tube things (Places like Hy-Vee use them for doughnut fillings). (I tried making cherry with cherry pie filling once, but the filling wasnt' heavy enough to weigh the dough down and the middle rose up and pushed the filling out over the edges.)
2) Prepare the dough.
3) Roll dough into balls a little smaller than a ping pong (though you can make them as big or small as you'd like). Place balls on greased cookie sheet spacing like you would cookies. Brush lightly with melted butter or margarine.
4) Place in a warm place to rise.
5) When they've about doubled in size, gently mash them flat, then mash down a pool in the middle, leaving about 1/2 an inch around the edge. Brush melted butter/margarine around the raised edge.
6) Add filling into the pool in the middle of each.
7) Bake.

Play around with this and have fun!

Pretty much any flavor goes. Fruit ones are usually the most popular (cherry, apple, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry) My mother loves prune ones, I have an aunt that loves poppy seed ones, and apricot is one of my favorites. I think that apple is by far the best though.

Forgot to add that the heavier fillings work better. As I said in my instructions in the previous post, a regular cherry pie filling wasn't heavy enough to weigh down the dough and it pushed the filling out.

We lived in Cedar Rapids Iowa for a while and every spring they would have Kolache days YUM right around the time the morel mushrooms

never made them but loved to eat them

Yum..these sound good!

Here in Texas Kolaches are always sausage or sausage and cheese.


And they taste terrific!

Stephanie

The kolaches I grew up with are like what BlueRoseCakes mentioned. My grandmother always made them with a sweet dough and cherry pie filling, and then put a simple powdered sugar glaze on them after they baked. These were more like maybe a fluffy breakfast danish or a sweet roll. I've heard other people refer to a type of cookie filled with a nut filling as a kaloche. I think it depends on where you are from and what part of Germany/Europe that the towns people descended from.
I also grew up with beirocks!! Yum! A slightly sweet bread dough stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onion! Oh how I miss my Granny...

has anyone ever had one with the cream cheese filling? I have only ever had one in my life and it had a cream cheese filling in it. I am just curious as to how do I make the cream cheese filling? surely it is not just cream cheese slapped into the middle, is there something else to it? also how long do these stay, like how long can I keep them on my shelves before going bad and do they need to be refrigerated? thanks for all the info

I just Googled kolache and found a picture. The one shown in Wikepedia (which is probably what you're talking about) and the Hungarian ones are worlds apart. Same name but very different pastry.

Good luck with your fillings - I'm sure whatever you end up using will be delicious!

Oh my ....

Memories of my childhood and our friends the Kalases just came flooding back.

their fillings were always fruits and more fruits -- they used jams and such.

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and morel mushrooms! ! ! ! --- oh how i miss those.

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now cut this out! -- you've all got me "youth"sick -- somebody turn back the hands of time!

thanks everyone, I appreciate all the input. if anyone has a suggestion about the cream cheese filling and how these should be store, please share.

Hey tdybear, go to www.recipezaar.com and type kaloches in the search space. There are a dozen or so recipes of different versions. If I remember right there was at least one with a cream cheese filling. Not sure how you would do the cream cheese filling off the top of my head, but you would for sure add sugar, a little vanilla, and possibly even an egg?!!

thank you so much

I just made 12 dozen for the holidays.  Why send for a mix?  Very easy to make. for a small batch which makes 24 cookies, use 1 8oz. cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla.

Mix all except flour until smooth, slowly add flour.  Use confectioners sugar to dust a rolling surface; knead for 1-2 minutes only.  Now use the sugar instead of flour if dough becomes sticky or you can refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8" thick.  continuing to use confectioners sugar if needed. Cut into 3" squares. Place 1 tsp. filling in center.  Bring opposite corners toward center and slightly overlap. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until golden on bottom.  Sprinkle liberally with confectioners sugar.

Fillings can be apricot, strawberry, raspberry, or cherry preserves.  Apricot is our favorite.  You can also use almond paste or a combination of pecans/brown sugar/butter/cinnamon.  Good wishes to you with your bakery. This will be a great addition to your menu.

I moved from Chicago where these were easily available and my mother in law made them.  She has passed away, so my family still can enjoy these and remember her at the same time.

I now live in Kentucky and no one here has even heard of them.:)

gsuep:   These are so wonderful.......Haven't had them in years....they bring up good memories.

AThought they sounded familiar...then I remembered where I heard it recently... http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-18/go-figure-czech-snack-ends-new-york-way-west-texas