I got this book a few weeks before my trip to Austin. Reading it, I learned of kolaches, a treat found in many Texas bakeries, probably of Czech origin. I decided I would have to try them on my trip. Upon arriving however, I couldn't find a single local that had actually eaten one. Still, there were plenty of bakeries to choose from. I ultimately wound up at the Kolache Shoppe, mainly because it was right around the corner from my friend, Jen T.'s place, where I was staying. 
It was a small little place in the middle of a strip mall, and I am pretty sure it sold nothing but kolaches. There are both sweet and savory varieties, but all of their savory ones contained meat, so I stuck to sweet. My plan had been to sample just one. I tried cherry.
Then apple.
Then cream cheese.
I think they appealed to the same part of me that secretly likes Twinkies. The dough was soft and flakey, like a cross between danish, a buttery dinner roll, and Wonder Bread. And the dough was not very sweet. Then resting in the center was the filling. The fruit could have come straight out of a can of pie filling (which I love as much as Twinkies). The cream cheese was sweet. I would love a cherry-cream cheese version...
3 comments:
Yummy~ thanks for the bite!
My mom makes cookies we call kolaches, but they are quite different. The dough (also not very sweet) is rolled flat and cut with a square ravioli cutter; the filling is a mixture of walnuts and possibly dates (can't remember, but you could fill them with just about anything, fruits, etc.). Then two opposite ends are folded into the middle, that it looks kind of like a log, but the filling sticks out the top and bottom.
After they are baked, they're dusted with powdered sugar. And they are delicious--not sure where these come from either, but it's definitely some kind of Eastern European tradition.
I remember kolaches in Houston as a kid, along with ginger pig cookies from Mexican bakeries... and have i mentioned my grandma in Dallas used to make fried pies??
I am skipping the Birdsong Family Reunion in Cypress TX this year, but man, I bet I am missing some good eats there. rb
Post a Comment