KOLACHES

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 deg)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
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3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
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2 eggs
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 recipe prune filling
Powdered sugar

In a bowl add yeast to water, stirring to dissolve.
In saucepan heat milk, butter, sugar and salt to just warm (115-120 deg) stir until butter just melts

In large mixing bowl - stir together 2 cups flour, cinnamon; beat in the milk mixture.
Add softened yeast, eggs and peel - stir well.
Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon.

Turn out onto floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough.
Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes.
Shape into ball.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turning once to grease surface.
Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down and turn out onto lightly floured surface.
Divide dough into two portions.
Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide and shape each half into 9 balls.
Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
Flatten each ball to a 3" circle. Cover; let rise 45 minutes

With your fingers (or whatever) make a depression in the middle/centre of each.
Spoon a heaping tablespoonful of prune (or other filling) evenly into each centre depression.

Bake at 375 deg. 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove to wire rack, dust with sugar after cooled.
Makes 18

Prune Filling:
In saucepan, combine 2 cups coarsely chopped pitted prunes and enough water to come 1" above.
Simmer, covered, 10 minutes; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 /2 tsp cinnamon
Cool.
Can also make this as apricot filling - just sub apricots for prunes, nutmeg for the cinnamon and 1 tbsp butter instead of lemon.

This recipe is from a 1979 magazine - so of course now-a-days one may just use the type of yeast that is merely tossed into the flour and not needing to soak yeast first.

Raspberry Sour Cream Cake
Makes: 12 servings

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) crushed Graham cookies
1 tbsp (15 mL) melted butter
3 cups (750 mL) sour cream
2 cups (500 mL) Cottage cheese
3 egg whites
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen raspberries
Choice of fresh fruits

Preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C). In small bowl, mix Graham cookies with butter. Press mixture evenly into a 9 inch (22.5 cm) buttered springform pan.

Purée sour cream, Canadian Cottage cheese and egg whites in food processor, until creamy. Add sugar, flour, lime juice, vanilla extract and raspberries. Purée again until smooth. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 hour.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Garnish with fresh fruits and serve cold.

Three Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
3 zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
3 red bell peppers, grilled and cut in strips
1/2 lb (250 g) Quark cheese
1 cup (250 mL) grated Mozzarella cheese
1 cup (250 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

Creamy White Sauce:
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
5 tbsp (75 mL) butter
3 1/2 cups (875 mL) milk
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried savory
Grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Cook noodles according to cooking instructions on package, until "al dente".
Into buttered lasagna dish, spread Creamy White Sauce evenly.
Cover with 4 lasagna noodles, and top with zucchini, onion slices and bell pepper strips. Spread with Canadian Quark cheese and sprinkle with some Canadian Mozzarella and some Canadian Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Starting with noodles, repeat layers twice. Top with remaining white sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Creamy White Sauce:
In saucepan, bring to boil flour, butter and milk while stirring, until sauce thickens. Add savory and season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Chocolate Malted Cookies

1 cup butter flavoured shortening
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips/or chunks (semi-sweet)
1 cup (6 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Combine first five ingredients - beat two minutes
Add egg
Combine dry ingredients (not chocolate chips) and add gradually to creamed mixture, mix well after each addition.
Stir in chocolate.
Shape into 2" balls; place 3" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 deg. for 12/14 minutes or until golden brown.
cool two minutes before transferring to wire rack
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter (no subs) softened
2 cups sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Colored sugar-optional

Cream butter and sugar - add eggs, milk, extract. Combine dry ingredients;
gradually add to creamed mix.
Cover and chill two hours
Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut with a 2" cookie cutter dipped in flour.
Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
bake at 350deg. for 8-9 minutes or until edges just begin to brown.
Remove to wire racks to cool

Yield: about 13 dozen

ROLLED OAT COOKIES

1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Cream together butter and sugar. Add water and vanilla-mix well.
Combine dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Chill 30 minutes
Shape into two 1 1/2 inch rolls; wrap tightly in wax paper.
Chill two hours or until firm.
Cut into 1/2" slices and place 2" apart on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 375 deg for 12 minutes (until lightly browned)

Dough can be frozen to use at a later time.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Mysteriously GOOD Crust
f/Pecan Pie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon butter-rum flavor
1/2 teaspoon salt (use 1/4 teaspoon salt if you’re using salted butter)
1 cup pecan meal or finely ground pecans
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, flavoring, and salt till smooth. Beat in the pecans, then the flour; the mixture will seem quite dry at first, but keep beating, it’ll come together.

Press the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. This crust burns quite easily if it’s exposed to direct oven heat, so either use a pie shield when you’re baking the pie, or don’t make an edge of crust above the filling; end the crust so the filling just about reaches the top of the crust.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

8-ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 teaspoon butter-rum flavor
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Beat slowly (at lowest speed on an electric mixer), till thoroughly combined; you want a fairly dense layer of cheesecake, not something light and airy, so don’t beat vigorously. Spread the cheese mixture over the bottom of the crust.

PECAN FILLING

1 1/2 cups diced pecans
2 large eggs
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 teaspoon butter-rum flavor

Sprinkle the pecans atop the cheese filling. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, and flavor till smooth. Drizzle this over the pecans in the pan.

Bake the pie in a preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes. It’ll puff up, then fall when you take it out of the oven; that’s OK. Cool the pie completely at room temperature, then refrigerate it till you’re ready to serve. Warning: DO NOT cut this pie while it’s hot! The crust will tear, the filling will ooze, and you’ll just generally make a real mess. Serve it cold from the fridge, or (somewhat preferable), remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan on serving it. Yield: about 8 servings.

www.BakingCircle.com
November 5, 2002