When thinking of the holidays, a traditional American meal comes to mind: turkey, party potatoes, stuffing and chocolate pie. While some families eat these traditional foods, many others have their own traditional foods based on their heritage.

One tradition that is usually left out is the Polish celebration of Wagilia. Before starting the feast, a Polish blessing is done by breaking a wafer called Opalek. Next is the first course of borscht, which is a beet soup.

Then they move on to the second course, which is a fish dish. There is one more course before moving on to desserts. This dish is called Pierogi, which can be simply described as a dumpling that is stuffed sometimes with potatoes or cabbage and covered in butter – the more the better.

Lastly cookies and kolaches, pastries filled with fruit filling, are served to wrap up the traditional Polish holiday meal. Here is a recipe for kolaches to add a little Polish tradition to your own holiday meal.

Ingredients:

·      2 packages yeast

·      1/2 cup lukewarm water

·      1/2 cup shortening

·      1/2 sugar

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      3/4 cup scalded milk

·      2 beaten eggs

·      4 1/2 to 5 cups of flour

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.

Let stand for five minutes.

Cream together the shortening, sugar and salt.

Add scalded milk and cool until lukewarm.

Stir in yeast mixture and two beaten eggs.

Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and beat with a mixer.

Mix in the rest of the flour.

Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover.

Let rise until doubled.

Once doubled, punch it down and knead for two more minutes.

Return the dough to bowl and let rise again until doubled.

When doubled the dough is ready to be rolled into small balls on a greased cookie sheet.

Let rise until doubled. 

Make indents and put your filling of choice in the indent.

Let rise again.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.