Slovak Kolache (Nut Rolls)

Kolache, or nut rolls, have been a Christmas and Easter favorite in my family for at least 5 generations. My great-grandmother brought the basic recipe with her from the former Czechoslovakia, now the Slovak Republic, in the early 1900s. The sweet rolls can be filled with ground walnuts, poppyseed, or fruit preserves, such as apricot, raspberry, cherry, and pineapple. My mother started using this small red nut grinder in the 1950s - I only use it to make these special holiday rolls, but keep it on my kitchen shelf where I see it everyday.

You need these ingredients to make the Kolache dough:

• 1 lb. butter
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1 lb. flour

And these ingredients for the ground walnut filling:

• 1 lb. ground walnuts
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

This recipe makes 4 large kolache or about 8 dozen small 2-inch square rolls. For fruit filling, some of our favorites are apricot, pineapple, raspberry and cherry.

Soften the butter and cream cheese by taking it out of the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you collect all of the other ingredients and baking supplies. Mix 1 pound butter and 1 pound cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy. Slowly add 1 pound of flour. Divide into 4 sections and refrigerate overnight in a covered container.

Here's what you need for the nut filling:

• 1 pound ground walnuts
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, stir milk and sugar until sugar dissolves, cooking over medium heat. Then add 1 teaspoon butter, stirring often and cook until it boils. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and add the ground walnuts.

This always has been the fun part of making these rolls. Roll the dough on a surface that has been dusted with powdered sugar (I also mixed in a small amount of granulated sugar before rolling the dough).

Dough can be rolled in an oblong shape and the walnut or fruit filling spread evenly, within a 1/2 inch or so of the edge. If the filling is too close to the edge of the dough, it will overflow when the dough is rolled. If this happens, just scrape off the excess filling. Roll like a jelly roll, starting on one of the long sides. Place the seam of the dough on the bottom when baking, which prevents the roll from expanding and the dough separating as it bakes.

The dough also can be cut into 2 inch squares and the filling added to the middle of the square. Squares can be rolled (again, placing the seam side down on the baking sheet) or 2 corners pinched together in the middle.

Bake 350 degrees F, about 10 minutes on greased baking sheet. Bake until rolls are golden brown, being careful the bottom of the rolls aren't burning. The filling may overflow onto the baking sheet while baking if too much was added or it was spread too close to the edge of the dough.

Melted butter can be brushed on the top of each of the long rolls before baking if you want the dough to be slightly more crisp.

Kolache are delicious anytime -- perfect with a morning cup of coffee, after dinner, as a sweet grab & go treat or midnight snack, and for sharing as a homemade gift!