Czech Prune Crescents Recipes

CZECH PRUNE CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
• Mix flour, salt, sugar.
• Cut in butter or lard.
• Add milk, egg yolks, and yeast.
• Mix well and refrigerate overnight. the dough is VERY soft and you need it to be cold to even work with it ,it does rise in frig very well . i always use gluten in my baking .
• Divide into 4 pieces. use floured hands to do this dough is still soft
• Roll out (EACH PIECE) 1/4 inch thick.
• Spread on filling and roll up like a jelly roll. i sprayed cookie sheet with pam and patted out with floured hands
• Place on a cookie sheet (It doesn't say to make a crescent shape but I think you do here).and you need LARGE COOKIE SHEET. as you see from pictures they rose and spread like crazy
• Let rise 1 hour. (IT DID NOT TAKE AN HOUR FOR ME TO GET DOUBLED ).
• Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Ice with powdered sugar frosting, warm or cold.
• FILLING:.
• Beat 3 egg whites until stiff.
• Add 1 cup sugar.
• Fold in 1 cup cooked cut up prune.

GRANDMA SKEET'S PRUNE KOLACHES

Steps:

• Place the warm water, salt, egg and 2 tablespoons butter in the pan of a bread machine. Add bread flour, and pour 1/4 cup sugar on the edge of the pan. Make a shallow hole in the flour and add the 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, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until prunes are soft and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend in a mixer or food processor until smooth.
• When the bread machine signals the end of the dough cycle, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 20 small egg-sized pieces. Cover with greased plastic wrap, and set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Stir in melted butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to make a crumbly streusel.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
• Shape the kolache dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Press a shallow hole in the center of each one, and fill with prune filling. Top each of the kolaches with streusel. Let the kolaches rest until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
• Bake until the tops are lightly browned, 14 to 16 minutes.

PRUNE RUGELACH

Steps:

• Mix butter, cream cheese, and salt in a bowl with hands until crumbly. Add flour; mix until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Stir together bread crumbs and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in another small bowl.
• Roll one disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out a 12-inch circle. Brush beaten egg in a 1-inch border around circle. Put half the prune filling in center, and spread out to beaten egg border. Sprinkle 1/2 cup bread crumb mixture over filling. With a pizza wheel, cut circle into 16 wedges. Starting at outside edge of each wedge, roll up into a crescent shape. Space 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining disk and filling. Refrigerate rugelach until cold, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake rugelach until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.
• Soak prunes and brandy in a small airtight container at room temperature overnight. Drain prunes. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day ahead.
• Spread the center of a round of dough with pureed fruit filling, then top with bread crumb mixture. With a pizza wheel, cut round into wedges. Tightly roll triangles inward, tucking tails underneath.

PRUNE AND WALNUT CRECENTS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour in a food processor just until a dough forms. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough and form into 2 balls, then flatten each ball into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, each wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.
• Form and bake crescents:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep the other chilled) into a roughly 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out rounds with floured cookie cutter. Chill scraps.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of filling in center of 1 dough round. Brush some of egg wash halfway around pastry, near edge, then fold dough over filling, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch edges to seal. Make more crescents in same manner, rerolling scraps (but only once).
• Arrange crescents 1/2 inch apart on 2 buttered large baking sheets and lightly brush tops with egg wash. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix butter with sugar-vanilla.
• Add flour slowly stirring until it is smooth.
• Stir in chopped nuts.
• Dip hands in flour.
• Then shape dough in to small crescent.
• Place on a ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.
• When cool, sprinkle with sugar.