Moravian Kolaches recipe (from C-hound potluck)

In response to, um, overwhelming demand (thank you Tigerwoman!), here it is...

MORAVIAN KOLACHES
(BTW... Moravia is the eastern part of the Czech Republic, with Brno as its capital; the western two-thirds of the country are called Bohemia; hence the name of your favorite beer garden in Astoria, Queens.)

DOUGH:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups butter, melted
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1 beaten egg for glaze

Mix yeast with warm (not hot) milk, let stand for 5 min. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour; cover and keep in a warm place until light and foamy. Add remaining ingredients and knead dough a few times until smooth, shiny and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough is at least doubled in bulk (it will deflate some when you start working with it but that’s OK).

CHEESE FILLING:
1/2 lb or more (this depends entirely on how much filling you want to put inside each bun, and how big they will be) farmer’s cheese, cream cheese, or a combination
1/2 stick butter, softened, only if NOT using cream cheese (it’s fatty enough)
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar or to taste (filling should be slightly sweet but still tangy)
1/2 cup raisins or more
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk as needed (filling should be clumpy but not dry)

Blend ingredients with spatula until well combined.

PLUM FILLING:
1 cup plum butter (sold under the name “Lekvar” or “Powidl” in Eastern European – Hungarian, Polish, German - grocery stores, e.g. in Yorkville or Greenpoint)
2 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Stir ingredients until blended. A jam-like consistency is desirable.

CRUMB TOPPING:
3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ tablespoon cold butter
1 ½ tablespoon sugar

Blend ingredients with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal; it should remain clumpy.

METHOD:
Pinch pieces of dough from the bulk, flatten with your palm, and using two teaspoons, drop cheese filling in the center. (The size is up to you, I like them on the small side but a “regular” sized kolach would be made from a piece the size of a plum, flattened to a 1/4” or 1/3” thickness.) Seal carefully and place on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down; allow approx. 2” between individual pastries. Dip your fingertip or knuckle in flour and make a deep depression in the center of each bun; fill the hollow with plum filling (I use a Ziploc sandwich bag with a cut-off corner for this). Using a pastry brush, brush the kolaches with the beaten egg. Finally, press a small mound of crumb mixture on top of each bun.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden. They keep pretty well for a couple of days.