Yum
 

I have been dreaming of some sweet buns with delicious tart fillings and my mind wanders off the koláče my mother used to make.  They were so good it was difficult to eat just one.  And they were so light it was easy to eat 2 or 3 in a sitting which justifiable given that there were often more than one kind of filling…. so you had to make sure they were each good.  😉

It was about time I made them, and enjoyed them on days when the weather is getting cooler and I’m out in the yard tidying up the flower beds… deserving of something sweet and tart and comforting.  I called my mom and asked for the recipe… she scoured her old cookbooks and gave me a combination of recipes…. giving me options of ingredients though they are mostly basically the same.  This makes life easy, often you have what you need and you don’t have to run out for anything special….. flexibility and adjustments are the cornerstones of our cooking.

Kolace

• 250 ml of milk
• 80 grams of powdered sugar (icing sugar)
• 20 grams vanilla sugar (1 teaspoon vanilla)
• 30 grams fresh yeast or 2 ½ teaspoons of dry yeast
• 500 grams flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 100 grams melted butter (or lard)
• 100 grams oil
• 1 whole egg
• 4 egg yolks
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons rum

Microwave the milk in a heat proof bowl for about 30 seconds on high. Test to make sure it’s hot to the touch but doesn’t burn (essentially hot enough to stand) add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and fresh yeast and stir. Set aside and wait for the yeast to grow.

In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, melted butter, oil, whole egg and yolks, lemon zest and rum. Once the milk mixture has bloomed add it to the stand mixer with all the other ingredients. Mix, first slowly then bring it up to medium speed. The dough should come together and once it is in a cohesive mixture turn the mixer up a little higher and allow the mixer to knead it for at least 10 minutes.

Set the dough aside in a greased bowl, in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles. I often turn the oven on for a literally a half minute then turn it off and place the bowl in there to allow the dough to rise.

Then divide the pieces of the dough (I used about 50 to 50 grams each) into 22 pieces, give or take one depending on how big or little you’d like them to be. Knead each piece into a ball and set on either a greased baking pan or on a silpat (on a pan) pressing each one down a little to flatten it out a bit and allow to rise again to double the size. Once these have risen then using a greased spoon or the bottom or a smaller glass (again greased) indent the centers of each koláč so that you have enough room to add a fruit preserve.

Fill the centers with your filling of choice, traditionally this is plum preserves* or apple butter or poppy seeds.  I used cherry and cheese filling**.  Brush the edges with a beaten egg. Bake at 350 until golden brown along the edges (8 minutes for smaller buns; 12 minutes for larger ones like I made)

I used some plum preserves I had on hand and made cream cheese filling and sour cherry filling from items I happened to have handy. Cream cheese is not the traditional type of cheese used but I didn’t happen to have ricotta which is the closest to the kind of soft cheese that is used back home.

*plum preserves – I used plum preserves I had on hand from a couple of years ago, having cooked down fresh plums, initially adding water to help break them down then cooking them until they were a thick paste and canning them. I added just a splash of lemon juice and a very small amount of sugar so that they would remain tart.  These can also be purchased in many speciality stores that carry German or Slavic foods.

**For the cheese filling (non-traditional)

• 250 grams of cream cheese
• juice of ½ lemon
• zest of one lemon
• ½ cup icing sugar

Mix all the ingredients until well incorporated. You can adjust the sugar to taste. I like things less sweet.

**Sour Cherry filling

• 2 cups sour cherries with juice (I had frozen ones)
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ¼ – ½ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a bubble then let cool slightly before adding to the buns.

I have to say that this recipe is best for buns served the same day, that’s of course assuming that you can even keep them around the whole day… if you’re going to keep them any longer then freeze them as soon as they cool and thaw and warm a little in the oven before serving.  They do not keep well on the counter and will dry out if you let them.   I’ve since seen recipes that include sour cream in the buns… maybe I’ll try that next time, maybe they stay softer longer?  If anyone has a secret recipe they’d like to share I’d love to hear from you.  Not that these hang around for long but almost 2 dozen are not so good to eat with just the two of us… all in the same day.  Not that we didn’t try!

Yum

Sometimes you don’t want a dessert that’s showy or over the top like my previous dessert Banana Split Pie.  Sometimes you want something more demure yet still delicious.  That’s when you want to make a scratch pudding that will wow your guests and this is the pudding to do just that.  This recipe comes from Food and Wine, often when I get the magazine… yes I still get magazines… I like to hold them in  my hands and leaf through them and carry them around old school… I digress, often when I get the magazines I fine at least one thing that I want to make and this was the dish I opted for this time.

Most of us know that buttermilk is low in fat and super healthy but don’t let the addition of buttermilk in this dessert fool you into thinking it’s low calorie and ‘light’.  It is decadent and rich, creamy and luscious dessert that will have people thinking you’ve slaved for hours and hours when really it isn’t that difficult.

Want to make it with other ingredients?  I feel like this dessert can easily be a blank canvas and easily be made your own.

Lemon Buttermilk Pudding (from Food and Wine)

• 4 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1 cup lightly sweetened whipped cream

In a heatproof bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt.  In a saucepan combine the buttermilk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Keep whisking it and once simmering slowly drizzle it into the bowl with the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture, continue whisking while you do this.  Once you have all the hot mixture incorporated into the egg mixture pour it all back into the saucepan over medium heat cook until it’s thick while constantly whisking to ensure it doesn’t burn.  Once done allow to cool slightly and then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and bring to room temperature. Placing the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding keeps it from forming a thick skin as it cools. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.

To serve swirl the whipped cream into the mixture and top with your favourite berries and serve.

Yum

You know when you have a craving and you can eat everything out of your fridge and freezer and pantry and if you don’t have that ONE thing that you’re craving you still don’t feel satisfied?  That’s how I’ve been feeling lately and it was a banana split that I was after.

I had a few things including a friend’s wonderful apple crumble with fresh apples straight off an apple tree… I enjoyed my snacking but just couldn’t seem to get a banana split off my mind….

We were having a family dinner and I decided it was about time I attempted a banana split type of dessert.  Sure it would have been a little easier to just go somewhere to get a damn banana split but I was avoiding it…. so now it was beyond a craving and more of an obsession.  Consequently this dessert was born.  I have to say that I feel like it was the best dessert I’d ever made though that could have just been my craving talking.  But the kids even gave me an enthusiastic nod and said this was definitely a keeper!

I used the basis of the cheesecake recipe found here but had to alter it given that I didn’t really have enough cream cheese. Then I improvised the rest…. and it was AHMAZING!!!!!  Angels singing kind of AMAZING….

Crust

• 1 1/4 cup chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter

Mix melted butter and crumbs in a deep pie dish and press evenly along the bottom and sides.  Don’t worry about it being perfect you’re going to cover the edges with whipping cream later. Set aside.

Cheesecake

• 500 grams full fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 eggs
• 3 (small to medium sized) previously frozen bananas thawed *
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature and then put into a stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Add in sugar and cornstarch and mix throughly.  Add eggs one at a time to make sure they are well incorporated and then mix in the bananas and whipping cream.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 250 and bake for another 75 minutes.  Once a toothpick comes out clean remove from oven and let it cool until just a little warm.  This can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight to finish off the next day.

Chocolate Ganache Layer

• 4 oz bakers semi sweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and then mix in the cream mixing until incorporated.  Let it cool and then cover the cooled cheesecake with a layer of chocolate.   You can put the whole amount on the cheesecake or reserve a little to decorate the top when you’re done.

Caramelized Bananas and Strawberries

• 3 fresh bananas
• 3-4 cups fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Cut the bananas in half, split and coat with sugar and set aside.  In a frying pan melt the butter and turn to medium heat, once hot add the sugar coated bananas and fry until they brown slightly then remove and add most of the strawberries and pan fry until slightly softened and set aside.  Allow the caramelized fruit to cool.

Top the chocolate ganache layer with the caramelized fruit and place back in refrigerator to cool.

Whipped Topping

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup fine powdered or icing sugar
• fresh strawberries
• 1 can crushed pineapple (drained and squeezed of juice)
• leftover chocolate ganache or shaved chocolate

Place chilled whipping cream in the stand mixer and increase mixing speed slowly to allow the bubbles to form in the whipped cream.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated.

Decorate the pie with shipping cream, topped with crushed pineapple and strawberries and drizzle or shave chocolate.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I know this dish sounds or reads like a lot of work but really it’s pretty simple… it’s just a simple cheesecake with some great layers of toppings…  The whole taste is very much like a banana split.  You’ll notice that I don’t sweeten any of the layers much and so the whole concoction was not too rich or heavy.  The fruit gives sweetness and also makes it taste so fresh it’s a crazy good dessert to have.

I’ll be making this again for sure!!!  Let’s just look at that one more time…  🙂

*I generally have a few bananas in the freezer because when I have bananas that start to get soft I just throw them in the freezer and then thaw them quickly in the microwave for dishes like this one.