Kolaches: 12 Czech Texas Pastries Grandma Baked by the Trayful for Christmas Morning

Kolaches are the soft, buttery Czech pastries that came to Texas with immigrant families in the 1800s and never left. Grandma baked them by the trayful, a glossy spoon of fruit pressed into every pillowy round, and the entire house smelled like butter and apricots before anyone was awake. In small central Texas towns, bakery cases still fill with them every morning, sweet ones beside the savory sausage cousins called klobasnek. Czech families bake extra for Christmas, which makes them perfect for holiday brunch and the cookie table. If you want the backstory, the history of the kolach goes back centuries in Central Europe. This tray starts with classic apricot, then moves through poppy seed, cherry crumb, cream cheese, Texas sausage favorites and a festive Czech Christmas braid..

Classic Apricot Kolaches

Soft, pillowy rounds with a glossy pool of apricot in the center: these are the kolaches Czech families carried to Texas and kept baking for generations. The dough is rich with egg yolks and butter, so it bakes up tender and almost cake-like. Cooking dried apricots into a thick jam gives a tangier filling than store jam, and it will not run in the oven. Press the wells deep, because the dough puffs as it bakes. Set a tray beside your old-fashioned Christmas breads and watch which one empties first..

You will need: 4 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup warm milk, 1 egg plus 2 yolks, 8 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, 3/4 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

How to make it: 1. Simmer apricots and water 15 minutes, mash with sugar and lemon and cool. 2. Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt, add milk, egg, yolks and 6 tablespoons butter, knead until soft and let rise 1 hour. 3. Shape 24 balls, let rise 30 minutes, then press a deep well in each. 4. Fill with a heaping tablespoon of apricot. 5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes and brush the rims with the remaining butter.

Poppy Seed Kolaches

In Czech kitchens, poppy seed is the old-world favorite, earthy and nutty with a hint of lemon. This tray from a bakery in the Czech town of Susice shows how it is done back home, with dark poppy seed, sweet farmer’s cheese and plum side by side under a snowy crumb. Ground seeds simmer with milk and sugar into a spreadable filling that tastes nothing like a muffin topping. If you grew up on Eastern European desserts, this one will taste like home.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 1 cup ground poppy seeds, 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, crumb topping of 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 3 tablespoons cold butter.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Simmer poppy seeds, milk, sugar and butter 8 to 10 minutes until thick, then stir in zest and cool. 3. Press wells, fill and sprinkle with crumb. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Cherry Kolaches With Posypka Crumb

Ruby-red cherry filling under a snowy crumb topping makes kolaches that sell themselves on a holiday tray. Posypka, the Czech crumb of sugar, flour and butter, bakes into crisp little clusters that crunch against the soft dough. Use tart cherries, frozen or jarred, and thicken them with cornstarch so the filling holds. They look stunning on red and green platters. Love these? Try more juicy cherry desserts next.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 2 cups pitted tart cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, crumb topping.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Cook cherries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon until thick and glossy, then cool. 3. Press wells, fill and cover with crumb. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Sweet Cream Cheese Kolaches

Cream cheese is the bestseller in many Texas bakery cases, and this square little beauty shows why: a sweet, lemony filling baked right into a cloud of buttery dough. A single egg yolk helps the filling set like a tiny cheesecake. Let the cream cheese soften fully so it stays smooth. These are the ones that vanish first next to grandma’s church bake sale recipes, so bake a double batch.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, yolk, zest and vanilla until smooth. 3. Press wells and spoon in the filling. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes and brush with butter.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Kolache

Two fillings are better than one. A spoon of sweet cream cheese goes in first, then a dollop of thick blueberry jam on top, and the oven swirls them into purple and white. Frozen wild blueberries cook down fast and give the deepest color. Keep the berry layer small so it does not spill over the rim. If your family hoards cream cheese recipes for the holidays, this is the kolache they will fight over.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, cream cheese filling from the slide above, 1 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Cook blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon until jammy, then cool. 3. Press wells, add cream cheese, then a teaspoon of blueberry. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Sausage and Cheese Klobasnek

Ask for a sausage kolache in Texas and you will get this: a smoky sausage link and melted cheese wrapped in the same sweet, soft dough. Czech purists call it klobasnek, and Texans call it breakfast. Pick a good smoked sausage, cut it to fit, and tuck a strip of cheddar beside it before you seal the seam. Wrap them in foil and they travel like Southern sausage balls to every early game and road trip.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 12 smoked sausage links halved, 6 slices cheddar cut in strips, 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.

How to make it: 1. Make the kolache dough and let it rise 1 hour. 2. Pat 24 pieces into ovals, add sausage and cheese, then pinch the seams closed. 3. Rise 30 minutes, brush with egg wash. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Kolaches

Pumpkin cream cheese kolaches taste like pumpkin pie and a warm cinnamon roll met at the holiday table. Spiced pumpkin filling gets a ribbon of sweet cream cheese and a sandy crumb on top. Cook the pumpkin down a few minutes so it is thick, or the wells will run. They are made for the stretch from Thanksgiving to Christmas, right alongside your favorite pumpkin desserts.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 4 ounces cream cheese with 2 tablespoons sugar, crumb topping.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Stir pumpkin, brown sugar, yolk and spice over low heat until thick, then cool. 3. Press wells, add pumpkin, a spoon of sweetened cream cheese and crumb. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage Klobasnek

This is the Texas twist that makes Czech grandmothers raise an eyebrow and grandkids cheer. Sausage, sharp cheddar and sliced jalapenos are rolled up in soft kolache dough, so every bite is smoky, cheesy and a little hot. Pickled jalapenos give more tang, fresh ones more crunch. If your crew lives for cheesy jalapeno poppers, set these out first on game day or Christmas morning.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 12 smoked sausage links halved, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, 2 jalapenos thinly sliced, 1 egg for egg wash.

How to make it: 1. Make the kolache dough and let it rise 1 hour. 2. Pat 24 pieces into ovals and fill with sausage, cheddar and jalapeno. 3. Pinch closed, rise 30 minutes, brush with egg wash. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Christmas Kolache

Bright red cranberry filling with a whisper of orange and a thin white glaze: this is the kolache that makes a Christmas tray look dressed up. Fresh or frozen cranberries pop in the pan in about ten minutes and turn into a tart, jewel-colored jam. Add the orange zest at the end so it stays fragrant. Set them beside your other festive cranberry desserts for a red and gold holiday spread.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 2 cups cranberries, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons orange juice for glaze.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Simmer cranberries, sugar and juice until they pop and thicken, stir in zest and cool. 3. Press wells and fill. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes, cool and drizzle with glaze.

Pineapple Kolaches

These trays are filled and ready for the oven, and that sunny filling is a classic in Texas bakery cases. Crushed pineapple cooked with a little sugar and cornstarch turns thick and glossy, sweet with a bright tang. Drain the can well before you cook it. Line the trays just like this, rims puffy and wells full, and they bake in under twenty minutes. Fans of retro pineapple desserts will love this one.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple well drained, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon butter.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Cook pineapple, sugar and cornstarch until thick, stir in butter and cool. 3. Press wells and fill generously. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Prune Povidla Kolaches

Povidla is a thick Czech plum butter, and prune filling is its everyday stand-in. Simmered prunes turn jammy and deeply sweet, with cinnamon and lemon to keep it bright. Older Texans still ask for prune first at the bakery counter, and one bite explains why. It is also one of the easiest fillings to make from pantry staples. It belongs with the best sweet yeast breads ever made.

You will need: 1 batch kolache dough, 1 1/2 cups pitted prunes, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, crumb topping.

How to make it: 1. Make the basic kolache dough from the first slide, let it rise 1 hour, shape 24 balls and let them rise 30 minutes. 2. Simmer prunes in water 15 minutes, then mash with sugar, cinnamon and lemon until thick and cool. 3. Press wells, fill and add crumb. 4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Czech Christmas Vanocka Braid

Kolaches have a big Christmas cousin. Vanocka is the braided Czech holiday loaf, made from a similar rich, buttery dough with raisins, lemon zest and sliced almonds on top. Families braid it in stacked layers and slice it thick on Christmas morning with butter and jam. If you love swirled babka breads, this gentle, golden loaf will earn a spot on your table too.

You will need: 4 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup warm milk, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 egg and 1/4 cup sliced almonds for the top.

How to make it: 1. Knead flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk, yolks and butter into a smooth dough, add raisins and zest and let rise 1 1/2 hours. 2. Braid a 4-strand base, a 3-strand middle and a 2-strand top and stack them. 3. Rise 45 minutes, brush with egg and add almonds. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.