Bohemian Kolaches-Grandma Rumppe's

So, there has been a lot of discussions in our house regarding Kolaches.  These are Czech pastry's that are baked in the oven, filled with fruit filling and take in many shapes and configurations.  I have come to believe that asking for a kolache is equivalent to asking for a "pastry".  Just as there are many types of pastries, there are many types of kolaches.

In our house, it is pronounced KŌ-lah-cha. I have also come to learn that even the pronunciation of the pastry's name is fodder for discussion. The point is, if you are me and trying to provide your Czech father with a memory from his childhood, you need to do a little research and figure out the details of the pastry on which he was brought up.  Hand him a Kolache that isn't shaped like the ones he remembers growing up in Wisconsin, or with filling that is not what Grandma used and he WILL tell you about how HIS mother made them.

BEHOLD! I bring you Grandma Rumppe's Recipe for Czech Kolaches in her own (beautiful) pen-woman-ship.  <shaking fist in the air>THIS is why you young people need learn cursive handwriting.</shaking fist in the air>.  My sister Mary found the recipe among the personal affects of my Dad's sister, Carol.  

There were a few things that confused me when I first read through the recipe.  The first is that the recipe calls for 1 ounce of compressed yeast.  Yeah, I had the same reaction...what-the-what? I did a little bit of research and was able to determine that compressed yeast is compressed into a small block to minimize the surface area and therefore keep it from spoiling too quickly.  It is different from the envelope or jar of granular yeast that we see more often in stores here in the US.  Compressed yeast has a short shelf life but has a diminished fermentation aroma.  I have seen web sites that provide conversions ratios for compressed yeast to active dry yeast is 

1 oz of compressed yeast is about ½ oz of Active Dry Yeast or 1½ Tbsp. 

The second issue I had with the recipe is that it calls for ¾ cup of shortening and butter mixed.  I ended up using ⅜ cup of butter and ⅜ cup of shortening. 

The first time through this recipe I did my best to stick to the instructions as they are written.  I thought about the necessity to scald the milk, wondering if my Grandmother didn't have access to pasturized milk.  I did a little online research and found that scalding the milk breaks down the whey proteins which would otherwise hinder the yeast from being the best yeast it can be. So, pour the milk in a wide hallow pan and heat the milk to between 180 - 185°.  

I did go off script by:

• using silicone mates instead of a greased cookie sheet.  
• Instead of dropping the prescibed 2 tablespoons of filling into each one.  I first cut out the circles, noticed how many I had, (44 of them, (see note below)), then spread the filling out on some parchment paper to form a rectangle, then using a piece of dental floss, divided the rectangle up into roughly equal-sized partitions. the method seemed to work pretty well.  I would say that each of my kolaches received a teaspoon of filling,
• I also brushed each with a little egg white before baking to give the kolaches a little bakery bling.

 

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another favorite cookie in our family. My family does not request the normal Christmas cookie. This is one that is always requested.

Ingredients:

2¼ cups all-purpose Flour

⅓ cup unsweetened Cocoa

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Butter

¾ cup White Sugar

¾ cup packed Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Eggs

2 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until creamy.
4. Add eggs and beat well.
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
9. Cool slightly before moving to cooling rack.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

For whatever reason this recipe is better than any recipe I have found for Chocolate Chip Cookies. Maybe it is the baking soda dissolved in the hot water. Also I use Trader Joes Chocolate Chips because they are less waxy than the name brands. These cookies are soft and melt in your mouth delicious. Bottom-line, truly the best.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Butter, softened

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Cup packed Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

2 teaspoons Hot Water

½ teaspoon salt

3 Cups Flour

2 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips 

1 Cup Walnuts or Pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. 
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.
5. Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans
7. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are nicely brown.

Enjoy!

Blonde Brownies

Blonde Brownies

This was one of the first recipes that Mom had us kids make.  They were a staple on picnics and after-school snacks.  

Ingredients

• ½ cup softened butter
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup nuts (if you're nuts)
• ½ - ¾ cup chocolate chips

Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Bars

Here is another recipe you will not find in a Weight Watcher's Cookbook.  Like many of her recipes, my Mother, Jan, probably found this while thumbing through a magazine.  This recipe was published in a McCormick ad.

Any time you can put cinnamon or caramel in a recipe, you are going to have my attention, but put them both together in a recipe and you will have my undivided attention.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 package (14 ounces) caramels, unwrapped (or one 11 oz bag Caramel Bits)
• ¼ cup milk

Banana Bread Part III

This is the third banana bread recipe on this blog.  You might assume my family has an unnatural fixation with the stuff.  I have nothing against the other two recipes but I have to say when I tasted the banana bread of the following recipe, I knew I found the one my family would like.

It came to me via a friend and colleague, Lisa who, years ago, was the Principal during summer school.  She treated her staff to some of her homemade banana bread.  Her recipe was based on one found in the Pike and Embarrass Lutheran Churchwoman Cookbook.  (That's right...authentic Lutheran baked goods!) The cookbook credited Mrs Arvo Koski as the contributor.

Makes 1 9 x 5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups sifted flour (240 grams)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp baking soda

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• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp banana flavoring

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• 1 - 1¼ cup (about 2 - 3) ripe bananas (mashed).
• 2 unbeaten eggs
• ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

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• 1 Tbls Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Oil and flour a bread pan
3. Sift together the 4 dry ingredients and set aside.
4. Mix the sugar, butter, vanilla and banana flavoring into the dry ingredients.
5. Stir in mashed bananas, eggs, and optional chocolate chips.
6. Pour into loaf pan
7. Sprinkle sugar on top surface of batter
8. Bake for 1 - 1¼ hours
9. Cool before slicing if you can wait that long.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When we were growing up, we had black labrador retrievers.  Teak was the name of our first dog who was followed by Soot. The dogs were well accustomed to responding to the sound of the cover on the cookie jar.  I bring this up because one of the memories I have of baked chocolate cookies is it seemed there was always one pan that went in the oven without the timer being set. Typically the odor of charred cookies hit the nose of the baker, a few choice words were uttered, the oven door was opened and the stove hood fan was turned up to high.  These cookies were appropriately named "Soot Cookies".  The black-bottom beauties resided in a bowl next to the cookie jar for the enjoyment of the dog with the same name.

The recipe that follows makes a chewy chocolate chip cookie.  I took it off of the back of a bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet (60% Cacao) Chocolate Chips.  I made the cookies according to the recipe leaving the nuts out.  I used parchment paper on the cookie sheet and baking each pan for 11 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

Scandinavian Almond Cake

To my knowledge, I have no Scandinavian blood in me.  But you can't live in the upper midwest without being immersed in Nordic culture. While there are some foods I shall never understand— lutefisk being tops on my list—I admit I have a fondness for the desserts.

Recently, Kathy and I were avoiding some highway construction and found ourselves passing the Nordic Ware factory.  Nordic Ware is probably best known for developing and trademarking Bundt® pans. I noticed they have an outlet store next to the factory and there was a sign indicating it was open.  One of the things that we purchased was an almond cake pan.  It came with a recipe for Almond Cake, which I cannot find on the Nordic Ware website.  They sold two styles of pans.  The all aluminum style came with a recipe for Almond Cake while the newer pans with a non-stick coating come with a recipe for cinnamon bread instead.  I have nothing against cinnamon bread but it will have to be incredibly tasty to beat out this Almond Cake.

INGREDIENTS:

Sandbakkels

The Original Recipe in Francis' own handwriting.

This recipe represents the contributions of both Grandmas.  Grandma Rumppe's Sandbakkel recipe with Grandma Dot's Pecan Filling. Neither of them were of Norwegian heritage, but seeing how both raised their families in the upper midwest, both were familiar with the culture of Norwegian cooking. Grandma Rumppe lived with us for a while in a very small house in South Minneapolis.  She cared for the kids while my mother went back to school to get her degree from the University of Minnesota. To distinguish herself from the other lady of the house, Grandma referred to herself as "Mother Rumppe".  Based on the date shown in the upper right-hand corner of the recipe card to the right, Grandma probably wrote this recipe during the time she was staying with us.

Sandbakkels

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening (part butter)
¼ teaspoon salt
Break in one egg (unbeaten)
2½ cups flour (enough until batter leaves the bowl).

Jan's Hot Fudge Sauce

Mom is known for her thoughtfulness and her organizational skills. She often fills mason jars with this chocolate sauce and is prepared for those times when a quick gift is needed. This recipe is far more decadent than the hot fudge you might buy in a store. The flavor of the chocolate is enhanced by the combination of hazelnut spread and the mocha from either the Kahlua or strong coffee. In addition to spooning it over a bowl of ice cream, consider dipping strawberries into it.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's is not complete without a slice of Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. The texture is lighter than your average pumpkin pie, with a creamy whipped texture. Even if you are not a big fan of pumpkin pie, try it–you may be surprised. It’s a dessert to take to a party.

Mom's Lemon Meringue Pie

According to an annotation on the 3 × 5 recipe card in my mother hand writing, Lemon Meringue Pie was my Grandpa Joe's favorite.

I was almost 7 years old when my Grandfather died of complications from years of smoking.  Exclude all of the memories I have of him that are not related to visits to the hospital waiting room, and I am afraid to say I really don't have too many.  Thus seeing a family recipe like this one, with this annotation helps me to make a connection with a man who gave me my Irish ancestry.

The pie is light and delicious.  I know that Grandpa is not the only person to enjoy this recipe.

Kolache - Poppy Seed

Kolache are a Czechoslovakian baked good that resemble a dinner-roll but are filled with a sweet fruit filling.  My mother-in-law makes Kolache for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Julia makes hers with a poppyseed filling but I believe that cherry, prune, apricot, or just about any kind of fruit will work.  Seeing how Kathy and I both claim to have a Czech background, I figure this family cookbook should contain the recipe for this little portion of our heritage.

According to a Wikipedia entry, the word "kolache" is from either the Czech word, "koláček" which means cookie or koláče which means cake. My dad pronounces them "KO-la-cha" and I believe my mother-in-law uses a slightly different pronunciation, "KO-LA-chee".  To-MAY-to, to-MA-to... What all Czechs seem to agree on is their appreciation for these baked goodies.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box "Hot Roll Mix"
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 can Poppy seed filling
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp half-&-half

Cognac Cinnamon Blueberry Pie

I received this recipe from my good friend, Janice Black who found the recipe from the Penzeys Spices web site. Fantastically delicious! This pie takes quite a bit of time to set up and not be running. Sooooo! Make the pie in the morning or, even better, the day before. "Wild blueberries are smaller and make a firmer pie, but if you only can find larger berries they will make a great pie, although soupier." I also used Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust.

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (see below for our favorite recipe)
• 5 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
• 1 1/2 Cups sugar
• 5 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. China cassia cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. cognac (Cointreau is nice as well)

Easy Berry / Fresh Fruit Pie

This recipe works equally well with peaches and nectarines as it does with mixed berries.


INgredients

• 2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted
• 4 1/2 cups mixed berries, (or peaches or nectarines washed, hulled, sliced).
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup H2O
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice or more as needed
• 3/4 cup sugar

Strawberry Pie

Rob's  birthday is in July which is prime strawberry season.  When he was a kid, and I asked him what kind of birthday cake he wanted, he often asked for a strawberry pie instead.

• 1 baked pie shell (I use Pillsbury Pie Crusts)
• 1 pkg. Strawberry Junket Danish Dessert mix (found in the pudding section)
• 1-10 oz pkg of frozen strawberries
• 3 t. sugar

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

This is really easy and the best banana bread ever!


2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (5 medium, 3 large)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 recipe Streusel-Nut topping

Burnt Cream/Crème Brûlée

This recipe comes from Kincaids' Restaurant in Bloomington, MN. I have made it for many family holiday dinners. It is very rich and smooth.

Makes 6 six-ounce servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 pint Whipping Cream
• 4 Egg Yolks
• ½ c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 T. Vanilla Extract

Topping:

• 4 T. Granulated Sugar 
• 1 t. Brown Sugar 

Lemon-Blush Napoleons

This is a delicious, easy to prepare, very lite dessert. I intend to use this on nights I entertain members of the church 500 Card Club. I used regular sugar in place of sanding sugar. Could probably use blueberries also.  I found this recipe in Good Housekeeping.

Update

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Serves: 8

Total Time: 47 min

Prep Time: 35 min

Cook Time: 12 min

Oven Temp: 325° F

Pi-Day Sugar Cookies

There are two types of sugar cookies.  There are the kind that are rolled out, cut into a shape that resembles a mistake at the Rorschach factory, sprinkled with colored sugar crystals and baked to the consistency of a dog biscuit.  Then there is this recipe which would make a Norwegian Gramma proud.  The cookie, which admittedly is loaded with sugar and oil comes out tender and flaky will not be found in a Weight-Watchers cookbook.  I received this recipe from Sally Johnson, a student teacher from the past.

Although they could be used as a holiday cookie, these circular beauties work well for any major holiday...including pi-day.  In fact, each pi-day, (3-14),  the students in my class are requested to bring round food (and napkins).  My contribution is to bring in Tupperware containers of these baked goodies.