CZECH KOLACHE RECIPE: baking perfect Czech koláče the old fashioned way
Koláčes are as hot as it gets right now. From Texas to London’s East End, this sweet pastry is the cake choice of of the uber-cool. But in the Czech Republic, they've also long been the perfect partner to a cold beer, just one of the reasons we love them. But for the best koláče recipe, you need to go back to the source. Here in the koláče heartland near our brewery we learn the traditional, authentic way to make these incredible pastries. Read the full story at:
Or let us set the scene a little...
You might assume that koláče were only dreamt up a year or two ago in a trendy bakery somewhere in New York City – like that unholy food-fashion fusion the ‘cronut’. But in reality, these delicious, traditional Czech specialities have been a home-cooked kitchen table staple for many hundreds of years, migrating to the New World in the mid nineteenth-century with eastern European settlers in a move that would begin what has been a slow rise to worldwide fame. Yet despite becoming the latest designer pastry for many top bakeries, few would argue that uncovering the best koláče recipes and learning to cook them the traditional way still requires a trip back to the old country, back to where it all began.
Borovany, ten minutes drive from České Budějovice, is a great place to start – a small South Bohemian town famed for the blueberries that grow wild and plentiful here throughout the summer. I arrive to find it looking pretty under a midday July sun. Brightly painted buildings cluster around two central, dominating features: a handsome Augustinian monastery and impressive church. Wandering through a sun-drenched courtyard into the quiet, lawned gardens at the back of them, I’m greeted Edenka Brecková and Eva Tyrnerová, two masters at creating authentic koláče from scratch who are going to show me how its done.
Like most Czech koláče makers, neither of these warm, friendly, apron-wearing ladies is a ‘professional’ baker; rather they have long histories of cooking this delicacy for family and friends, both – they tell me – being by far the hardest audiences to please.
“I’ve been baking koláče for as long as I can remember,” says Eva as they spread a tablecloth over a wooden table under a willow tree and set up ceramic bowls and ingredients. “It’s just what we do here. You start at a very early age. I learned to make koláče from my mother and my grandmother, both of whom were excellent bakers.”
More recently, Eva and Edenka have branched from supplying just their nearest and dearest; they are committed to turning long lineages of expertise into something that helps the wider community. They are members of a Borovany baking circle, fittingly titled ‘The Traditions Club’. This uses the church hall behind where we’re standing as a base to create these outrageously good Czech delicacies, entering them into national koláče competitions and selling them to raise money for local charities.
And the secret to creating prize-worthy pastries? “Well,” says Edenka, “It always starts with the quality of the dough. Good leavened dough is essential. You have to get it right....
Read on at
Polish Christmas Cookies - Kolaczki Swiateczne - Recipe #124
Kolaczki are delicate pastry filled with different kind of filling. I am preparing my Christmas version filled with plum butter and poppy seed feeling!
Recipe for poppy seed filling:
Recipe for plum butter:
Merry Christmas!
Full recipe with all ingredients and instructions you can find at:
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Ingredients:
230 g, 1 cup of butter, 2 sticks - room temperature
250 g of cream cheese - room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 /2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of poppy filling
1/3 cup of plum butter
icing sugar for rolling and serving
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Mix until smooth.
Mix flour and salt together.
Gradually add in the flour, sifting, beat until a soft dough forms.
Separate dough into 4 balls and wrap each in saran wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hrs.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F.
Roll out the dough on a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar until about 1/4-inch thick. Work in small batches, keeping the rest of dough in the fridge. If the dough gets too sticky as you are working with it, place it back in the fridge.
Cut the dough into more or less 6 cm or two-inch squares.
Place about a teaspoon of the plum butter or poppy seed filling in the center of each dough square. Bring two opposite corners of the dough together over the filling to form a roll. Pinch the corners together. You can also place a tsp of filling on a corner of a square and roll it up like a crescent roll.
Place the cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Dust with powdered sugar while warm.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Meet the Kolache Queen
We meet a woman from Morse Bluff, Nebraska known as the Kolache Queen.
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Polish Kolaczki (Filled Cookies)
A soft rich dough filled with fruit preserves, nuts or poppyseeds. Kołaczki are a traditional favorite in Poland and Central Europe.
In this video, I walk you through making the dough, prepare a nut filling, and talk about other fillings you might use.
We’ll roll out the Kołaczki dough and talk about several options for cutting it into 2-inch squares. I’ll share tips to ensure your cookies stay folded over while baking.
You’ll want to include these for Christmas and your baking for other special occasions. I bake them ahead of time and freeze until the day I need them. Dust them with powdered sugar just before serving.
Ingredients for dough
1 1/2 cups butter (340g), softened
8 ounces cream cheese (225 g), softened
3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream the butter and cream cheese. Incorporate the flour and salt. Chill the dough for at least an hour or over night. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick and cut into 2-inch squares. Put 1/2-1 teaspoon of your favorite filling to the center. Lift up two opposing corners, pinch them together with a dab of water. Fold the point to one side. Bake at 350 F (180 C). Cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Nut filling Ingredients
8 ounces walnuts (225g)
1 cup sugar (200 g)
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Add a few drops of water (if needed)
Finely chop the walnuts with a knife or steel blade in a food processor. Add the sugar, egg white, and extracts. If you mixture is too dry (not coming together) add a few drops of water. Use for Kołaczki or other recipes.
You’ll find koŁaczki and a different filling recipe on my website at
Polish Kolaczki Cookies Recipe
Learn how to make the best polish kolaczki cookies! These cookies are so delicious and so easy to make!
Ingredients-
1 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
Raspberry jam
Apricot jam
Bake at 350 F for 15 - 18 minutes.
Enjoy!
Kolachy Cookies Recipe | Polish Cookies Recipe
These Kolachy cookies are made with a mix of cream cheese and butter dough, filled with your favorite jam, and topped with powder sugar.
Recipe:
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