Another recipe passed on from my Grandma Ludy is her family-famous poppy seed rolls. These are a traditional treat for many with a European ancestry. Grandma was mostly Czech and her husband Leonard (Grandpa Len) was German. I would imagine she made these single serve, Koláče with her mother once upon a time. I was told my husband's Polish grandmother also made poppyseed rolls but as one loaf, called Makowiec. There are a plethora of recipes for these sweet rolls, whatever you call them, but this one smells of dinner with my grandma.
These were always at the table in bulk when celebrating Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. My cousins claimed it a tradition to see which boy could scarf down the most. I, the eldest girl cousin with my sister, refrained and instead savored every luscious, buttered bite. I knew well how many hours my grandma, uncle and aunt had spent in the kitchen preparing them for us.
Originally thinking it too big a task for myself, I created a shortcut version I posted many years ago. Found here https://michalekkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/poppy-seed-rolls.html
But in recent years I asked my aunt for the recipe to bring them to our gathering, sadly without Grandma there, and carry on the tradition. It went better than I thought. I may have called Bonnie a few times that day.
Making the dough the right thickness is the big trick, made so easy with a rolling pin that has adjustable thickness wheels on the ends.
So that's my tip if you want to do this right, get yourself a good rolling pin, like this one: https://amzn.to/3tarQRh
Then when I got the hang of it, I gave it my own "twist!"
POPPYSEED ROLLS RECIPE
Yields 20, Serves 1-20 😉
Ingredients:
1 C Milk, scalded (heated hot)
1/2 C Shortening (or solid coconut oil)
1/2 C Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 pkg Active Yeast, dissolved in 1/4 C warm water
3 Eggs, beaten
4 1/2 C Flour
Filling:
1 (12.5 oz) Can Poppyseed Filling, premade
1 C Prunes or Dates, chopped and soaking in hot water
1 Tbsp Honey
Directions:
In a saucepan, scald the milk then add in shortening, sugar and salt. Cook until combined. Then cool to lukewarm.
Once cooled, pour into a bowl or stand mixer. Add dissolved yeast, and stir well. Add eggs, then flour slowly until combined a soft dough forms. Knead lightly in a floured board or in a stand mixer. Place dough into a greased bowl, and let rise until nearly double. [Can skip rise if short on time, but not suggested.]
Take half and roll into a rectangle about 10x15 inches, 1/8 in thick. Using a pizza cutter, or knife, cut into 10 rectangles (about 5x3in each). Repeat with the second half of dough.
In a new bowl, mash together poppyseed mix, prunes/dates, and honey. Spread poppyseed filling across each rectangle, except the top 1/2 inch of each. That's the end you'll seal it up with.
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