Dinner Tonight: Kolaches

2/5/2012

No one could ever make kolaches that tasted quite as good as John Kachmarik’s mother’s, he writes. She may have tried to teach others how to make them, but no one could ever quite get the recipe right. Mr. Kachmarik, a resident of Rossford, sent along the recipe for this sweet pastry so that everyone can enjoy them — and try their hand at making them.

Mother Kachmarik’s Kolaches

6 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound butter or margarine, softened

3 teaspoons vanilla

8 ounces sour cream

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Powdered sugar

For the filling:

Canned apricot filling, OR

1 pound ground walnuts

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

¾ cup sugar, or to taste

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, butter, vanilla, sour cream, and egg yolks. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. If using walnut filling, mix together walnuts, egg whites, and sugar. Dust a clean work space with powdered sugar, and roll out dough until it is ⅛-inch thick. Do this in batches if necessary. Cut the dough into 4-inch squares. Put a couple of spoonfuls of filling in the center of each square, and fold in two of the corners until they meet and in the center, overlapping slightly. Bake 14 minutes, until brown.

— John Kachmarik

Have a recipe that is fast and healthy? Send it to food@theblade.com or Dinner Tonight, The Blade, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660.