Kolach

Since I was a young girl, a delicious Christmas delicacy that our family knew as "Kolach", has visited our homes and delighted our taste buds. This recipe was handed down from my Aunt Joyce and her family. I believe that her heritage was from Lithuania and this recipe descended from there. When I was younger, I recall that our only loaf of Kolach was the one Aunt Joyce baked and delivered to our family. Then my Mom learned how to bake it and she provided it for my siblings and me. Finally, once our girls began growing up, I learned how to bake it and taught our girls. It is definitely a recipe with a rich heritage.

Christmas would not be the same for our family without this special treat that we share each Christmas morning. To bake the six loaves, takes almost an entire day. Given all of my medical setbacks this past month, I began to ponder and doubt if this would be the Kolach-less Christmas!

Today, Lil Man is spending the day with his Dad, so Grammy was given a vacation day. Just the time I needed to bake this yeast and nut filled delight! I have read other Kolach recipes online but never found one quite like this.

Aunt Joyce's Kolach Recipe

DOUGH:

2 cups warm milk (warm enough to melt butter)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter(softened)
2 packages of yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water)
8 cups flour
3 eggs
1 stick of butter for brushing loaves

Pour warmed milk over sugar, salt, and butter and stir until the butter melts.
Add 4 cups of the flour, stir well.
Add dissolved yeast/water mixture and eggs to flour mixture. Stir well.
Add 4 additional cups of the flour - kneading in flour until the dough does not cling to hands.
Brush with melted butter and let rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough after 2 hours and let rise for another hour. Divide the dough into 6 same sized pieces and let rest and rise for another 1/2 hour to 1 hour.

FILLING:

3 cups finely chopped walnuts
6 1/2 ounces of finely ground cocktail peanuts
2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick melted butter

Mix all of these filling ingredients together.

Roll one section of dough at a time into a thin, 12" circle. Brush with melted butter. Spread a thin layer of filling on dough, roll up tightly jelly-roll style, tucking ends underneath. Put on greased cookie sheet, seam side down and brush outside with butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes per loaf. Remove from over and brush with butter. Cool. This freezes well and it tastes best when served warm.

YIELDS: 6 loaves