Yum! My grandmother used to make them. Wish Id' gotten her recipe.
Here you go...
My father was an expert kolache maker as was my mother. Here is his recipe. My mom taught two gals from Cresco how to make these and they won a blue ribbon at the Howard County Fair as well as the Iowa State Fair.
Czech Kolaches
1 pint lukewarm milk
3/4 cup shortening, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 whole eggs or 3 egg yokes
2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
6 cups flour
1/2 tsp. mace
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm milk and 2 tbs sugar. Beat eggs, add rest of sugar, salt, mace and remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, yeast, flour, and melted shortening. Beat until smooth and silky. Cover and let rise1 to 1 1/2 hours a good warm place. Shape dough into walnut size balls; brush with melted lard (we use ghee or butter). Let rise 30 to 40 minutes. From depression in biscuit and fill with your preferred filling. Let rise until double in size. Bake in hot oven (500*F) for 5 to 7 minutes - watch the time so they don't over brown or burn. Cool and remove from baking sheet. Brush with lard. The dough can also be used for poppyseed crescent rolls. Let rise and bake the same.
We use Solo brand fillings; prune, apricot, and poppy seed.
If you make the prune filling from the recipe I provided you might cut back on the cinnamon and clove. It is spicy but we like it.