"wouldnt be christmas without these. trick is to eat while warm, but not so hot that the filling burns your mouth."

1 cup softened butter (grandpa uses imperial margarine)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
8 cups flour
1 cake compressed yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm milk
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp orange peel
sometimes Grandpa adds a dash of cinnamon, spices included just depends on what you like and what you have on hand :)
A can or two of your favorite pie fillings

This recipe works best with a warm bowl and warm eggs. Just toss an oven safe mixing bowl into the oven on the lowest heat it to warm everything up.

Put butter, spices and sugar in milk on oven on a low heat, you want the milk to be warm, not boiling...about 110 degrees F.

Put a 1/2c milk into the yeast and place both into a warm oven. You will know the yeast is ready because it will bubble up and start to look like a sponge.

Using your warmed bowl, cream butter, add the sugar, and the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Then add salt, spices, and the rest of the flour and the yeast mixture alternately. Mix well. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and when pressed with a finger the indention pops back up.

Place dough in a bowl that has been sprayed with butter, also spray the top of the dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for an hour.

Note: It is very important that cool air not tough the dough while it is rising or it won't work properly. Grandpa used to make everyone stay inside or out while the dough was rising...no opening and shutting the doors :) For me I use my oven, I place the bowl on the lowest rack, (leave the oven off), and turn on the oven light, keeps the dough plenty warm. 

After an hour has passed and the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough and roll it out to 1/2" to 1/4" thick on a floured surface. Cut kolache out with a cup or biscut cutter. Place your kolache onto butter sprayed cookie sheets. Cover once again and place back into a warm place to rise again for another hour.

After an hour has passed pull our your kolache and press in a thumbprint almost all the way thru the dough. Then and drop in filling (canned cherry, peach, apricot, etc.). At this point if you want you can add an egg wash to the kolache before baking to make them shiney.

Baking kolache in grandpa's kitchen, the dough has risen two times and I've started dropping in the filling.

Bake kolache at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on paper bags or cooling racks. Enjoy!