Aunt Annes Kolacky Recipes

AUNT ANNE'S SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and anise extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well incorporated. If you are using a stand mixer, let the dough mix for another minute to add lightness to the dough. The dough will be soft, but will hand roll easily.
• Pinch off pieces of dough slightly smaller than a walnut, and roll them into small logs. Dip in milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread very much.
• Bake for 17 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottom and sides of cookies are lightly toasted. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

AUNTIE ANNE'S PRETZELS - COPYCAT

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic.
• Let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda.
• Be certain to stir often.
• After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape.
• Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again.
• Bake in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Toppings: After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.
• Or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
• Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously.
• Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.
• Notes: The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie Anne's they will be.

AUNTIE ANNE'S® MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve contents of 1 yeast packet in 1 1/4 cups lukewarm tap water (105 degrees F). Add 1 dough mix to yeast/water mixture. Using a rubber spatula (or your hands), mix until dough ball forms.*
• Turn dough ball onto lightly floured surface and knead until soft, slightly tacky dough is formed (5-7 minutes). Add a small amount of flour if dough is too sticky.
• Place dough ball into a large bowl that has been coated with nonstick spray. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and place on top of dough ball, tucking sides down around dough (to prevent dough from drying out).
• Place bowl in a warm spot (85-95 degrees F) for 30 minutes so the dough can rest (i.e., place bowl by a sunny window, on top of or near a warm oven, or on top of a refrigerator).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1/2 cup butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
• Tear risen dough into 50-60 one-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball and place 5-6 pieces at a time into the melted butter and coat evenly. Place buttered dough pieces into the cinnamon sugar mixture and shake bowl to coat.
• Place cinnamon sugar coated pieces of dough into a greased 10-cup Bundt pan. Repeat until you have used all the dough pieces.
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Best served warm!

AUNT ANNE'S KOLACKY

Steps:

• 1. Soften yeast in sour cream and beaten egg YOLK. Mix well. Set aside.
• 2. Work butter into flour with pasty blender or fork until it resembles small peas. (Sometimes I rub this mixture between my bare palms)
• 3. Add yeast mixture. Mix well with flour mixture.
• 4. Refrigerate the dough, covered, until it is quite firm.
• 5. Prepare filling(s). You can use a SOLO brand filling (usually with pie fillings in the supermarket) or make your own. Prune, apricot, and poppy seed fillings are probably the most traditional. I will include directions for making filling, but I usually use SOLO poppy seed. However, I love the Cherry and Pineapple fillings below, but I am not Czech.
• 6. Optional: Make your own Poppy Seed Filling True Confessions: I have not made this filling! Combine 2 cups poppy seeds, 1/2 sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon butter and 1/2 cup corn syrup in a sauce pan. Cook about 5 minutes until thick.
• 7. Optional: Make your own Prune filling Another true confession: I haven't made this filling either, but it sounds good! Combined 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped,1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped, 1/4 cup raisins, finely chopped, 1/2 orange, washed and finely chopped (peel and all) and 1/4 cup sugar in a sauce pan. Cover the fruit with hot water or black tea to cover the fruit. Simmer all the ingredients until the liquid is absorbed, the fruit is soft and the mixture is quite thick, about 30 to 35 minutes. If the fruit still isn't soft, add more water and continue to cook until it is soft. (I am guessing I would add a bit more sugar.)
• 8. Optional: Make your own Cherry Filling I've made it and like it! :-) Drain 1 can pitted sour cherries and cut the cherries into small pieces with kitchen shears. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 6 Tbsp cornstarch in pan. Add cherry juice from drained cherries and 1 teaspoon red food coloring. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from heat and add cut-up cherries.
• 9. Optional: Make your own Pineapple Filling I've made it and like it! Drain a #2 can of pineapple; grind the fruit in a food processor. Mix 3 Tbs. cornstarch with the juice. Add the fruit to the juice and cook until hot and bubbly. Add sugar to taste.
• 10. Prepare streusel topping if using. (Some like the added sweetness; others think it makes the kolacky too sweet.) Mix ingredients together until crumbly. (Left over streusel makes a good topping for an individual cobbler. Just top some raw or canned fruit and bake.)
• 11. When you are ready to bake the kolacky, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the chilled dough about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches). Place rounds on baking sheet. (I use a silicone mat on my baking sheets.)
• 12. Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in the middle of the round. Place a teaspoon or so of filling in the indentation and sprinkle with streusel topping if desired.
• 13. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until the kolacky bottom is just beginning to brown.
• 14. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. (Use a small sifter can for ease of dusting.) When I use the streusel, I skip the powdered sugar.