Cindy "TheSweetNerd" Rodriguez Czech and Kolachkes go together like Bees + Honey! And speaking of bees, this Kolachkes recipe, which I found in my fave cookie cookbook, Cookie Love, upped the ante by adding in Honeycomb. It’s sinfully good and how could it not be with its crunchiness, crisp texture, buttery sweet and fruity taste. (Seriously, the scary bit is that I could keep going on and on about how amazing it is!)
My husband and I once visited the Czech Republic and ourselves in a blissful state of travel – meaning we didn’t care about weather, jet-lag, layovers, any of those standard travel nuisances. We suffered from serious wanderlust and found ourselves celebrating in Prague at the Old Town Christmas Market for New Years. It was freaking cold. But still...we were in the Czech Republic and it was a heavenly food scene by my Sweet Nerd standards! We drank some hot honey wine to thaw us out a bit and munched on kolachkes (aka kolace or kolacky in slavic).
These Kolachkes have the all the right touches of being homemade and imperfectly beautiful. (Yes, even I’m okay with something being imperfect.) The crunch from the honeycomb seals this envelope pastry of fresh fruit and jam.
Making these Kolachkes requires some fast moves in the kitchen, but prep the layers separately and you’ll be ready to go. It’s Dough, Honeycomb, then Filling (plus a light wash and bake). Try to do your dough ahead of time and then all the other steps flow better! I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t your chocolate chip, grocery-bought cookie dough recipe. It takes a bit more time, but I’m telling you, the results are lovely. If you are in a pinch for time, skip the Honeycomb, and relax knowing that it’ll still be ridiculously delicious.
Let’s get layering!
The first step is easy-peasie. Whip up that luscious show stopper ingredient, cream cheese, to a nice fluffy state. Once the cheese is prepped, cover with plastic wrap and pop it into fridge. Now it’s time to work on your other layers. Roll out the dough and cut into squares. I used a 2.5″ cutter, but feel free to change the shape and size.
This smells sooooooo amazing when it’s boiling. As the honey essence fills your kitchen with intoxicating sweetness, it kind of sings to you like, “Take me, I am yours!” But don’t give in just yet. You’ve got work to do. If you have everything prepped, it should work out swimmingly. The key is timing and working FAST. Get a high quality mitt and keep your eye on the clock. This part can be accomplished without a candy thermometer.
Find your favorite jam, slice a few fresh peaches, and you’re nearly there! I chose a peach jam from Sqirl LA by Jessica Koslow. (Did you know she’s releasing a book called Everything I Want To Eat on Oct. 4th? I can’t wait!!) Tip: the peaches may need a bit more trimming depending on the size of dough you cut out.
Break your honeycomb into small pieces for the last step of the assembly. Crack an egg, add a tablespoon of water, whisk, and set aside (with a brush). If you want, you can also sprinkle cinnamon sugar atop these glorious kolachkes as a final step before baking.
So here it goes. Final assembly (drum roll-please).
- Dough Cut-Outs (square 2.5″)
- Jam – I used Peach
- Fruit – sliced to fit!
- Honeycomb – because it adds that ridiculous something
- Fold-n-Pinch. Don’t be shy. Really pinch these babies together because otherwise it will open its wingspan like a honeybird!
- Brush with Egg Wash
- Sprinkle with Cinnamon Sugar
- Bake
- Once they’re out of the oven, remove them immediately from the parchment paper or they will stick!
Remove the kolachkes quickly once they’re baked.
Seriously, this is one of those keeper recipes. It’s a whopper of a breakfast bite.
Credits: Mindy Segal, Cookie Love
Photos by: Maria Hedrick Photography
September 13, 2016 Honeycomb 1Prep a bowl that has about 2 inches cold water and place inside sink. Also, have your baking soda and spatula near the sink too. These are your prepped items so that when your honeycomb is hot and ready to go, so are you! 2In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add sugar and give it a shake so it lays flat in the pan. Add corn syrup, honey, and water, so all of the sugar has been moistened, but do not stir. Turn the heat to medium high, and watch closely as the sugar starts to dissolve and the ingredients start to meld together. 3Cook the mixture to 300ºF, which should take about 5–10 minutes depending on the strength of your stove, then remove the pan from the heat and immediately go to your sink. Place the hot saucepan into the bowl of the water. Then, drop in the baking soda into the 300ºF candy and stir with a spatula for about 5 seconds, and once it has stopped foaming up, immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper or a presprayed pan. Let cool for 1 hour until hardened, then whack the honeycomb with a knife to break into pieces. 4Note: Honeycomb will keep for 3–4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Dough 1Bowl: Combine dries of flour and salts. Set aside. 2Mixer: Cream butter, then add cream cheese until aerated. Add sugar and continue to aerate for a few minutes. Scrape down. Add vanilla. Then add dries to mixer all at once just until dough comes together (30 seconds or so). Do not overmix. Wrap with plastic and place in refrigerator. Assembly 1Dough Cut Out (square 2.5") 2Dollop of Peach Jam 3Slice of Peach 4Bits of crushed broken honeycomb 5Fold-n-Pinch. Pinch well to avoid it unsealing in oven. (still delicious, however!) 6Brush with Egg Wash 7Sprinkle with Cinnamon Sugar 8Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes 9Once baked, immediately remove from parchment paper or they will stick! Mindy Segal, Cookie LovePeach Honeycomb Kolachkes
Directions
Pioneer Woman, Modified Honeycomb Recipe
LET’S BAKE TOGETHER!
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Not sure if my culinary skills will pass the test, but I am definitely going to give it a shot. They look too delicious to pass up!
Hope you try it! If you run into any trouble, shoot me an email, and I will try to help. Cheers –
our next door neighbor used to bring us plates of kolachkes when i was kid. they were so good and filled with prune or apricot. but this. peach and honeycomb? mind. blown.
Thanks Cathy. They are fairly delicious. Love your shared memories of prunes and apricots. YUM!
This looks DELICIOUS. I won’t be able to finish the whole recipe because I’ll probably eat all the batter!