Kolaches

Heat sour cream until warm. Stir in sugar, salt, and softened margarine; set aside to cool. Sprinkle yeast over warm water; let stand until yeast dissolves. Add to sour cream mixture. Add eggs and flour, and mix well (dough does not need kneading). If necessary, work in enough additional flour to make dough spongy but not sticky. Put dough in a large, greased bowl; cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove dough from refrigerator. Shape into balls about 11/2 inches in diameter, and place on lightly greased baking sheets about an inch apart. Flatten balls to 1/2-inch, and let rise for about 10 minutes. Make indentations in the middle of each kolache by pressing down firmly with the first two fingers of both hands. Spoon about 1 T. Prune or Apricot Filling into each indentation. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. Streusel Topping over filling. Cover kolaches with a sheet of wax paper, and let rise until double in bulk. Remove wax paper, and bake in 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, or until light tan. Remove from oven, and brush top edges and sides of kolaches with melted butter. Yield: About 2 dozen kolaches.

Prune Filling

Dorothy also makes peach, apricot (see recipe below for Apricot Filling), sausage, and poppy seed kolaches. She raises her own poppy seed—she harvested more than three gallons last year—and uses a poppy seed grinder that has been in her family for generations.

• 2 (12-oz.) pkgs. dried, pitted prunes
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• additional sugar to taste (1/4 to 1/3 cup)

Cover fruit with water an cook 12 to 15 minutes or until tender, stirring often; drain. Puree fruit in food processor or blender. Immediately stir in cinnamon and 34 c. sugar. Add more sugar to taste and mix well. Yield: Enough filling for about 2 dozen kolaches. Note: For Apricot Filling, us 3 (6 0z.) pkg. dried appricots and follow the same recipe, except cut apricots into pieces before cooking, omit cinnamon, start with 1 c. sugar instead of 3/4 c., and add another 1/2 to 3/4 c. sugar.

Streusel topping

• 2/3 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. sugar
• about 1/3 c. melted butter or stick margarine

Blend flour and sugar in a bowl. Add just enough melted butter to moisten dry ingredients (mixture will be crumbly); mix well. Yield: Enough topping for about 2 dozen kolaches. See also: Strawberry Kolaches recipe.