Easy Kolaches

Unusually cold weather is headed our way and it makes me want to bake. I thought I'd share a great recipe for kolaches or pigs in the blanket. The bread is just a tad sweet and also makes great dinner rolls. You just layer seven ingredients into a stand mixer and go from there.

I gave these for Christmas gifts to a couple of friends, packing a dozen into a cute little brown box. And I let St. Wayne take several dozen to work. But I have to tell you, it's hard to turn loose of these little jewels because they make a great, quick breakfast when you're on the run and they're really handy and delicious to have on hand when we have houseguests.

My favorite thing is to bake these with someone as a group effort. This recipe came from my friend Jan in Dripping Spring, Texas. She came down and stayed a few days last fall and brought all the ingredients to make four batches. We made every kind imaginable that day and we were pooped! But there were enough in my freezer to last a long while. And I must tell you, you'll make a mess. Flour everywhere! But there's something theraputic about sitting around the table making these with your friends or family. Even St. Wayne helps me wrap the sausages because he knows he'll be rewarded in the end with a freezer full of his favorite breakfast snacks.

It's not a quick thing because it makes a lot of dough...it's a time-consuming endeavor, but so worth the effort.

Let me know what you think of these...just remember to keep your hands coated with flour because the dough is very sticky! Enjoy!

Kolaches

3 cups evaporated milk, heated

1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon salt (yes, that's not a typo)

3 egg yolks

7 cups flour

3 Tablespoons dry yeast

(I put the evaporated milk and butter in a large glass measuring cup and microwave for 3 minutes to heat the milk and melt the butter all in one step)

Place ingredients in a stand mixer in the order listed above. Mix slowly with a dough hook and then scrape down the sides. Mix on medium speed for ten minutes.

Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour.

Flour hands well as the dough is very sticky. (I keep a small bowl of flour nearby and dip my hands each time I tear a portion of the dough.) Tear small portions (about the size of a golf ball) of the dough and stretch and shape into balls, and place on a pan sprayed with Baker's Joy or lined with parchment. Allow about an inch between for rising (it's okay if they touch when risen). Make a cavity using your thumb or the bottom of a small shot glass for the fruit or cheese fillings. Spoon fruit pie filling or one of the cheese mixtures below into cavity and top with crumb topping. For pigs in the blanket, wrap sausages. (I use Ekrich "original," fully-cooked, sausages.) Let rise again while oven preheats. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Yields about 4-5 dozen, depending on size.

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

3-4 Tablespoons butter

Cream Cheese Topping

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Cheese Topping

24 ounces cottage cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup dry tapioca