Literary-ly Inspired: Kolache and Nearly Broken

That’s right. I have a new feature. And it comes with its very own play on words.

Have you ever read something in a book and wanted to try something new because of it? Either it’s going some place or cooking something. Even taking a class because a book aroused your curiosity. That happens to me all the time! And I thought it was about time that I stopped saying how cool it would be to broaden my horizons and just started doing it!

It doesn’t have to be something big. And – like my post today – it doesn’t have to be all that connected to a book.

It just has to be something that is different from your regular everyday life that you would not have done had you not been inspired by something literary.

Homemade Sausage Kolache inspired by Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley


nearly broken

Last week I was reading Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley (check out my review here) and Megan wakes up to find a bag of jalapeño kolache. Little known fact about myself – I love jalapeñoes. And I love trying new things.

What is a kolache? Well I didn’t know. And nor did the super-handy dictionary on my kindle. Now I was very curious. What could these spicy breakfast foods be?

According to Wikipedia (a semi-reliable search when looking for foreign food related questions):

Kolache /kɵˈlɑːtʃi/ (also spelled kolacekolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče, sg. koláč) is a type of pastry that holds a dollop of fruit rimmed by a puffy pillow of supple dough.[1] Originating as a semisweet wedding dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States.

Texas-Style Homemade Sausage Kolache

Texas-Style Homemade Sausage Kolache as seen on Confections of a Foodie Bride

And just like that my craving for the baked good began.

I found a recipe and after a trip to the supermarket (and one to the kitchen goods store. Who knew I didn’t own a cheese grater?) I was ready to begin.

I’m not going to just reiterate the recipe. The one at the link I used is the one I followed. I don’t think I was quite prepared for just how long it would take. It takes a VERY long time to bake kolache. You have to let it rise for two hours. Then in the fridge overnight. Then after you have formed your unfilled dough it needs to rest for twenty minutes before filling. Then after filling, rest for another twenty minutes before baking.

It took forever.

But, nearly a day after I started (because I got caught up and couldn’t fill and bake until 24 hours after I had started) – FINALLY! I had over twenty gorgeous little baked kolaches. And – even I was impressed with just how pretty they turned out to be.

IMG_20130730_141918

Look at how pretty my kolaches are straight out of the oven!

The Verdict?

I found it surprisingly therapeutic to make these. There’s something about playing/baking with dough that is fun and relaxing at the same time. I made most of mine with jalapeño, cheese and sausage but a few without the jalapeño because I ran out – and amazingly the ones without were my favourite! The dough is very sweet – so much sweeter than I was expecting but considering all the flour in the mixture I shouldn’t have been surprised.

IMG_20130730_142739

Action shot of one of my Kolache.. it tastes better than it looks!

These tasted okay at room temperature but so much better after I gave them 30 seconds in the microwave. Like – couldn’t believe how much better.

Will I be making these again? Probably not. The recipe made over twenty. I put most of them in the freezer because apparently they defrost very well. It is SO hard to know if you are making something right when you’ve never tried what it is supposed to turn out as. I’m glad I made them – they were fun. But I think next time I try kolache it will be at a bakery or deli and NOT from my own kitchen.

So that’s the first literary-ly inspired post. There will be more in the future. I’ve got some things I plan to do that I never would have thought to try had it not been for books I’ve read so keep an eye out for them. Thanks 🙂

IMG_20130730_143948

This is me trying to take a creative photo… I think it’s slightly more blurry than creative! 😛

5 Comments

  1. This is a great idea for a post! Books definitely inspire me to try out new things, especially if there’s a recipe that sounds particularly yummy in it. The kolache you made look fantastic, I’m tempted to have a go myself despite the time-consuming recipe, especially as they freeze well. 🙂

  2. Pingback: Cover Reveal: Nearly Mended by Devon Ashley | whY.A.not?

  3. lol…I love this! And as much as I love to bake, I totally cheat and just wrap the sausage with a sliver of pre-made crescent rolls, bake according to the package and top it off with a little cheese for the last minute. 😉 They look awesome though!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *