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"This is a Czech Pastry my Grandma use to make with a homemade prune filling and streusel topping. I changed it a little so I could use the bread machine. They are worth the hard work!!!"

Prep Time:
2 Hrs
Cook Time:
15 Min
 

Original Recipe Yield 20 kolaches
 
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons bread machine yeast
 
2 cups pitted prunes
2 cups prune juice or water
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice
 
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Place the warm water, salt, egg and 2 tablespoons butter in the pan of a bread machine. Add bread flour, 1/4 cup sugar and yeast. Close the lid, and set machine for the DOUGH cycle.

While the dough is mixing, combine the prunes, prune juice, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lime juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, and simmer until prunes are soft and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend together with a mixer until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large cookie sheet. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Stir in melted butter and cinnamon to make a crumbly streusel.

When the bread machine signals the end of the dough cycle, pinch off egg-sized balls of dough and place them on the greased cookie sheet, leaving some room between for them to grow. Press a shallow hole in the centre of each one, and fill with prune filling. Top each of the kolaches with some streusel. Allow to rise for 20 minutes before adding the filling.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. (Up to 20-30 minutes depending on your oven). 

Posted:
By: Mariasaurus Rex  
"I'm Russian, and this recipe has been handed down from my grandma. They taste delicious, and are a great comfort food (or any other food)."

Original Recipe Yield 60 piroshky
 
Ingredients
2 cups milk, warmed
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely chopped
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place 1/2 cup milk in a cup or small bowl. Stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the remaining milk into a large bowl.

Add the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour to the large bowl with the milk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl loosely and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Dough should almost triple in size.

While you wait for the dough to rise, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has wilted. Mix in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Set this aside for the filling.

Place the risen dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a long snake about 2 inches wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls by hand until they are 4 to 5 inches across. Place a spoonful of the cabbage filling in the centre and fold in half to enclose. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line one or two baking sheets with aluminium foil. Place the piroshkies onto the baking sheet, leaving room between them for them to grow.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
Calories: 134 | Total Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 54mg

I'm Russian as well and make piroshky pretty much the same way. Here is what I do differently: I rub shredded cabbage with garlic salt in a large pot, and then pour boiling water over the cabbage covering completely. Boil the mixture until soft, usually around 15 min.

Take the pot off the heat, drain the cabbage and return it to the pot, add spices, .5 to 1 spoon of butter (I use Smart Balance butter or other butter made with olive oil), and the eggs. Also, after pinching the end together, I turn piroshky so that the pinched ends are on the bottom rather than on the side.

It helps to keep not-so-well-pinched piroshkies closed during baking and creates a nice symmetric shape. :) After placing the piroshky on the baking sheet, I let the dough rise just a little. Right before baking, I brush them with beaten egg yolk for glowing smooth look when ready. Yummy!

I love this recipe, just like all other Russian children, I grew up eating these! I also fry onions in olive oil until they are golden and sometimes a little bit burnt and add them to mashed potatoes; if you use the oil from frying the onions then you really don’t need to add milk or butter when mashing the potatoes.

Another filling is sour cherries, I don't think anyone mentioned that, from what I know the traditional fillings for piroshky that you can buy at a Russian store is meat, potatoes, cabbage, or cherries, sometimes I’ll also add 18% fat cottage cheese with a little of my favourite (or whatever I have in the pantry) jam inside. 
 
This recipe is wonderful and a real crowd pleaser. My Russian Mother in law loved these. I recommend brushing them with egg yolk just before putting them in the oven for that professional, golden colour and shininess. Also, it is very traditional to add cooked white rice with the filling or mashed potatoes. The salt and pepper are key in the filling; too little is very bland.