Tropi-kolaches!

I've had a hankering all week for kolaches since I stopped by Lone Star Kolaches on my way to work... after stopping there, I thought, "hey, I bet I could make those!!" And then I spent valuable work time googling kolache recipes - and honestly, it was worth it!!

My kolaches were not quite as light and fluffy as theirs, so perhaps I need to edit the recipe slightly - less flour maybe? - but they were still quite delish!! I made one savory one (stuffed with scrambled eggs and bacon - clearly not where I got the name for this post!), and one sweet one (ginger mango, I got the idea from some super tasty ginger mango mimosas at South Congress Cafe - highly recommend those!) - this one is tropical-ish!  I used the same dough for both, just rolled out the stuffed ones a bit flatter.

Ingredients - Dough (yields 8 kolaches)

1/2 yeast package (1 1/8 tsp yeast)

1/8 C warm water (~110 degrees)

1/2 C warm milk (~110 degrees)

2 Tbsp melted butter, cooled

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 C flour

1/4 C sugar

Egg Wash

1 large egg, beaten

splash of milk

Filling - Savory

Bacon, chopped finely and cooked

3 eggs, scrambled and cooked

Salt & pepper to taste

(set aside to cool to room temperature)

Filling - Sweet

1/2 C frozen mango chunks

1 Tbsp sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Starting the night before (!!) make the dough. Mix the yeast and warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and let sit for about 5 minutes. Using your wire wisk attachment, add the milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, and salt. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour in small amounts and mix only until just combined - it should be sticky enough to attach itself to the hook (this is where I may have used too much flour!). Add additional flour as necessary and don't over mix!

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled. Punch down and refrigerate covered overnight or for at least 4 hours.

The next day, preheat the ovens - it helps to have 2 - one at 375 and the other at 425.  Scramble the eggs and bacon ,set aside to cool to room temperature. Heat up the mango, sugar, lemon juice, and ginger (watching carefully and stirring), until it is hot enough to mash the mango with a spoon. This will end up kind of a jam consistency. Set aside to cool. 

Divide the dough into golf ball sized balls. Flatten out 4 of them just a little (these will be the sweet ones) on a greased cookie sheet and set aside, covered, for about 15 minutes. Take the remaining 4 and roll flat using a floured rolling pin. Spread as thin as you can - mine were about 1/4" thick but could've been a little thinner probably. Divide the scrambled eggs and bacon mixture into fourths and place a scoop onto the middle of the flattened dough. Pinch the sides together, and then place it pinched-side-down onto a separate greased cookie sheet.

With the remaining 4 flattened dough balls, push down in the center (I should've done this harder!) with your thumb or a spoon to leave room for the fruit filling. Spoon some of the fruit filling into each one. 

Mix the egg wash (scramble an egg with a splash of milk), and using a pastry brush, wash the sides of the fruit kolaches and the entire top/sides of the stuffed kolaches. Place the fruit kolache tray in the 375 heated oven, and the stuffed kolaches in the 425 heated oven, both for about 12-15 minutes, until browned. 

 

  

Let rest for a few minutes and serve!  Leftovers will keep tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3-4 days, unless you're in our household and they'll last max 24 hours before being consumed. Yum!!