Kolaches

2 pkgs. Dry yeast or 2 Tablespoons yeast
¾ cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups warmed milk
¾ cup potato flakes
1 Tablespoon salt
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup oil
4 – 5 cups flour

Method:  Dissolve yeast into ¾ cup warm water and add 1 teaspoon sugar.  Set aside.  Dissolve potato flakes into warmed milk and put into blender with all other ingredients, except flour and yeast mixture.  Blend well.  Measure 4 cups flour into bowl.  Add blended ingredients.  Mix. Add risen yeast and last cup of flour or additional flour if dough is too sticky.  Cover and let rise until double in size.  Shape into small balls (about the size of walnuts) and place on greased pans.  Brush with oil and let rise.  Make indentations and fill with kolace filling.  Add streusel on top of filling and bake at 400 degrees for 11-12 minutes.  After baking, brush with 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water or brush with melted margarine.

Streusel topping for  Kolaches:
½ cup flour
¼ cup butter/margarine
½ cup sugar
½ cup finely chopped coconut (optional)
Use pastry blender, blend until crumbly.  Add coconut.   Spoon topping over kolace filling before baking.

Rhubarb kolach filling:
3 cups rhubarb, cut up
1 teaspoon  vanilla
2 Tablespoons jello (cherry, strawberry)
1 ½ cup sugar
3 Tablespoon cornstarch (mix with sugar)
Mix all ingredients and cook until thick.  Add red food coloring if desired

Prune Kolach filling:
12 oz. prunes (cover and cook until tender)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mash prunes and add other ingredients

Peach Kolache filling:
1 gallon sliced peaches with juice
2 cups sugar
2 small boxes peach jello
8 Tablespoon cornstarch
Cook peaches with 1 cup sugar and jello until soft.   Mix 1 cup sugar and cornstarch and add to above.

Cherry Kolach filling
1 – 20 ounce can cherry pie filling
½ cup sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoon butter/margarine
Heat, cook slowly until thickened.  Cool.

Cream Cheese kolach filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
½ to ¾ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
Mix thoroughly until smooth.