Cream Cheese Kolache

Cream Cheese Kolache

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 package of active dry yeast

1 cup of warm water

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups of all-purpose flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup of melted butter

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Cream Cheese Filling

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

½  cup granulated sugar or more to taste

2 large egg yolks

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of sugar in warm water, then sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside for 10 minutes or until foamy. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla essence and ½ cup of melted butter (reserve ¼ cup for brushing on the pastry) and salt. Add 1 cup of flour and yeast to the egg mixture and mix. Stir in about two more cups of flour, ½ cup at a time. The dough should be soft and moist. Knead dough for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Put dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered until doubled in size—about an hour. (You can also leave it in the refrigerator overnight and let the dough warm up the next day before using it.) After the dough has risen, punch it down. Pull off egg-sized pieces, roll into balls, and then flatten to about three inches in diameter. Place flattened pieces on a baking parchment, cover and let rise again for another half-hour.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese topping. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in the yolks, flour, and vanilla. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F for a convection oven). Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press 1 large, deep indentation into the center of each round, leaving a ½-inch wide-rim (I used a shot glass to do this). Brush the edges with the egg wash. Spoon about 1 tablespoon topping into each indentation. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Kolache are best eaten on the same day they are made, but can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.