Recipes

Marshmellow Fondant

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)

2 to 5 tablespoons water

2 pounds icing sugar

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
 

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, and continue doing this until melted. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Start kneading like you would bread dough. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

 
It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight.

Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. 

Kolache

1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Packages of yeast
1/2 Cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
2 Cups milk
1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
2 Teaspoons salt
2 Egg yolks
1/2 Cup sugar
6 1/4 Cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 Sticks of melted butter

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the yeast and dissolve in lukewarm water. Set aside to rise.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan; add the shortening to dissolve.  Allow to cool to lukewarm; then add salt, slightly-beaten egg yolks,
and sugar.

Combine milk-egg mixture and yeast mixture. Add flour gradually and
work dough by hand or with a mixer until glossy.  Keep it a little sticky, if at all possible.

Cover, place in a warm, draft-free place, and let rise until double
in bulk, about 45 minutes to an hour.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough, and lightly knead.
Divide into egg-sized portions with a spoon and form balls. Place in
well oiled baking pans about an inch apart and butter well; half
margarine may be substituted, but some butter is essential for the
flavor.

Let rise (about 15 minutes), then make indentions in the dough balls
for the fruit filling. Fill each indention with a large teaspoon full
of fruit filling.

Butter each kolache well. Over the fruit filling, generously sprinkle
poppyseed

Place pans of kolache in a warm, draft free place, and allow to
double in bulk again, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Place in an oven preheated to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown.

Remove the kolaches from the oven and slather with melted butter.
Cool slightly, remove from pans, and cool on wire racks. Recipe makes
3 to 4 dozen.

Kuchen (Coffee Cake)

5 large eggs    
2 1/8  cups powdered sugar    
8 7/8 ounces flour, all-purpose    
5/8  cups vegetable oil    
5/8  cups water hot
2  teaspoons baking powder    
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract if desired
1  tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions

Separate egg whites from yolks.
Set the whites aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix yolks with sugar.
Add slowly oil, then hot water.
Mix in flour and backing powder.
Beat egg whites alone in another bowl until they expand about 3 to 4 times, use an electric mixer on high speed for this.
Add these egg whites to the batter.
Mix by hand. Add vanilla if desired.
Pour half into greased round angel-cake pan.
Mix the cocoa into the remaining half and pour on top of the first layer in the pan.
Don't mix together.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Check with toothpick (toothpick will not have mixture on it if the cake is done) by poking it into the cake.
Sprinkle finished cake with powdered sugar.