Czech it out! - guest post by the mother of the bride!

Audrey and Javier have decided that they would like to give Kolace (a Czech pastry) as their favor at the wedding. Lots of people give candy or other treats so at first this may not seem so unusual. However, in our family Grandma Helen (Audrey’s Maternal grandmother) has been the primary and without a doubt the best baker of Kolace for all of our lives. Consequently, few immediate family members have attempted to replicate her creations. I for one knew that the baking of these pastries required much more than simply following a recipe. You see it’s all about the DOUGH. I had mentioned the plan to serve Kolace at the wedding to several family members over the holidays and all immediately knew what this intimidating endeavor entailed. The preparation requires not one but two periods of “letting the dough rise”. It takes practice, experience and judgment to know when the dough has risen enough to proceed with the next steps.

I might explain that Grandma Helen is now age 89 and not able to prepare the needed Kolace for Audrey and Javier’s big day. Previously she had prepared Kolace for Audrey’s two cousins’ weddings, Amber Blaha and Jeff Williams. She also prepared Kolace for the wedding party at Kelsey’s wedding. So the presence of Kolace has become a tradition of sorts at this generations’ weddings.

Consequently, we have issued a challenge of sorts to encourage family members to have a Kolace bake off. We have asked immediate family members to experiment and develop their Kolace baking. The best treats will make their way to the wedding for your enjoyment.

So over the holidays, with a little time on my hands and an empty house, I decided to attempt my first ever batch of Kolace. I might explain that I have never really worked with yeast dough before. I was duly intimidated and had low expectations for the project. However, much to my surprise the results were acceptable in both appearance and taste (ask Aud and Javs). The dough required lots of encouragement to rise (moving from place to place in my house to find the perfect warm place) and lots patience (not my forte’) as it did so. I shared my results with several different testers and was happy to receive positive comments from all. So with several more months ahead to practice, I now have high hopes that the Kolace served at the wedding will be as close to Grandma Helen’s standards as possible.

It will be a special treat to share because it reflects Audrey’s Czech heritage and will be prepared by the loving hands of family members.
-Barbara

I pitched the idea to my mom about serving Kolace as our favor at the wedding with more than a bit of hesitancy. 1) I have had the pleasure of eating my Grandma's Kolace my whole life so I knew just how high the bar was set. (I've heard, more than once, people at our 100+ family reunions walk up to the dessert table, spot Kolace and immediately ask, 'are those Helen Kolace?' They're famous! 2) I had actually gone to study (yes, study not watch) Grandma make Kolace two different times to try to learn the secret that made hers so good and therefore knew the time and precision it takes to make these treats!

But I'm so relieved by the willingness and excitement that both my mother and extended family have expressed with the challenge! And Mom's really were delicious (and on her first try!). As she said, with a few more months to practice, I feel confident that we'll be able to deliver to our guests Kolaces that will make Grandma proud :) Let the mouth watering begin!