Name: Small Czech Kolaces with Blueberries & Cheesecake or Jam
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 500 g Plain flour; 75 g Caster sugar; 75 g Butter (melted); 250 ml Whole or semi-skimmed milk; 3 Egg yolks; 7 g Sachet of fast action yeast; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 Lemon (zest only); 250 g Full fat cream cheese; 60 g Caster sugar; 1 Egg yolk; 1 Egg white (whipped); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/4 Lemon (zest only); 50 g Blueberries; Jam; 1 Egg (beaten)

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I absolutely love traditional recipes that have been passed from one generation to the next. They truely survive the test of time and you can guarantee they will be absolutely delicious! Czech Kolaces are one such recipe. The base is an enriched dough and they can be filled with a variety of sweet things such as fruit or jam. They can also be small or large, which is another thing about traditional recipes, every family has a different version. So why not find your favourite! As Czech Kolaces originated as desserts at Czech weddings, their perfect pairing is with a drink of course. Budweiser Budvar lager is brewed in the Czech Republic using 700 year old traditional methods and local ingredients. If you want to steep yourself in Czech tradition, then crack open a Budvar and learn how to make these delicious treats - you won't regret it!

This post is sponsored by Budvar. All opinions are my own.

To learn more about the kolaces watch this beautiful video that Budvar have made!

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Traditional Czech Kolaces

To make the dough, warm up the milk in a pan until it is luke warm. Add the yeast and caster sugar, then cover it with cling film and leave it for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, uncover it and add the egg yolks and melted butter and whisk it all together. In a mixing bowl, stir the flour together with the salt. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and mix until a dough forms. Cover it with cling film and leave it in a warm place to prove for 1 hour.

To make the cheesecake filling, whisk the cream cheese, caster sugar, lemon zest and egg yolk together. Then fold in the whipped egg white. Back to the dough, cut it in half. With one half, make the smaller kolaces by rolling it out then cutting out rounds with a cookie cutter. Use the bottom of a glass to make smaller ciruclar indentations in the dough.

Fill the indentations with the cheesecake mixture, and add a few blueberries too. Glaze them around the edges with beaten egg. Bake them for 20 minutes until risen and golden. I also made some with blackcurrant jam in the middle instead and a sprinkling of the crumble on top.

With the other half of the dough, roll it into a rectangle and spread it out on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, followed by blueberries and rum soaked cherries, then finally sprinkle the crumble all over. Glaze the edge with beaten egg. Bake it for 20-25 minutes on until golden brown.

I made the Czech Kolaces whilst I was round at my friend's house and they went down an absolute treat. It was so relaxing to chat and bake with a few Budvars, then enjoy the Czech Kolaces warm from the oven! I shared the beer out with my boyfriend and friends too. They really enjoyed drinking it with the Czech Kolaces, and I heard several poorly pronounced shouts of "Na zdraví!" - which is cheers in Czech!

The Czech Kolaces filled with jam were my favourite and they're also the easiest to make. I really liked the big traybake version too as it's less time consuming than cutting out rounds. However, the little rounds would be perfect for a party! The bread was soft and light, and the fillings sweet and fruity.

Troubleshooting

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Small Czech Kolaces with Blueberries & Cheesecake or Jam

Small pastries filled with cheesecake, fruit and jam

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European

Keyword: Bread

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 20

Resting time: 1

Total Time: 2 5

Servings:

Ingredients

For the dough

500 g Plain flour
75 g Caster sugar
75 g Butter melted
250 ml Whole or semi-skimmed milk
3 Egg yolks
7 g Sachet of fast action yeast
½ tsp Salt
½ Lemon zest only

For the cheesecake filling

250 g Full fat cream cheese
60 g Caster sugar
1 Egg yolk
1 Egg white whipped
1 tsp Vanilla extract
¼ Lemon zest only

Other toppings

50 g Blueberries
Jam

For glazing

1 Egg beaten

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

To make the dough warm up the milk in a pan until it is luke warm
Add the yeast and caster sugar, then cover it with cling film and leave it for 10 minutes
After the 10 minutes uncover it and add the egg yolks and melted butter, and whisk it all together
In a bowl stir the flour together with the salt. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and mix until a dough forms. Cover it with cling film and leave it in a warm place to prove for 1 hour
While it's proving, make the cheesecake filling,
Pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/200C/400F/Gas Mark 6
Once the dough is proved, flour your work surface and roll it out to 4-5mm thick. Cut out rounds using a cookie cutter
Use the bottom of a glass to make indentations in the dough
Fill the indentations with the cheesecake mixture (or jam if using), then add a few blueberries too. Glaze them around the edges with the beaten egg
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown
Allow to cool, then serve with a cold Budvar!

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Nutrition

Large Czech Kolac with Blueberries & Cherries

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European

Keyword: Bread

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 1 25

Servings: