Lemon Cheese Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Some things never change. One of my grandson's called tonight, ".....love you, Oma." I know he does, but an unsolicited call of this sort, at his age, is unusual and I sensed something was up. We chatted for a bit and then the shoe dropped. "Mom and I have to make a Sachertorte for school tomorrow. Do you have a recipe?" Seems he was giving an oral report on Austria and wanted to share a sample of Viennese food with his classmates. Whatever happened to cupcakes? I quickly pointed out that a Sachertorte was not simple to make and tossed out a couple alternatives that were a bit more realistic. He listened politely but he still wanted to make the torte, so I sent him to a trusted site where he could find a recipe. A few minutes later his mother called. "He asked the wrong question, Mom." My girl is no fool. She doesn't do Sachertorte on Monday night. So, we went to conference call and came up with a Viennese-style fudge that, while delicious, was much easier to do. I thought I could share the recipe with you but I was missing the hazelnuts which are the core of the recipe. What I do have is the recipe for a kolache-like cheese bun that my classmates and I might have taken to school for an Easter party or had for Easter breakfast. The buns are quite nice and would be a lovely addition to your breakfast or brunch table. The soft dough is silky and a joy to work with. You can, of course, substitute plum or jelly fillings for the cheese that is called for here. These do not freeze well, but they will keep for 24 hours if well wrapped and refrigerated. Here's the recipe for an old-fashioned Easter treat.

Lemon Cheese Buns...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 eggs
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling *
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, butter, salt, lemon peel, eggs and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
2) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3) Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape each half into 12 balls. Place 3-inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball to a 3-inch circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5) In a small bowl, beat all filling ingredients until smooth. Make a depression in center of each roll; add filling. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Hot Cross Buns - One Perfect Bite
Shrove Tuesday Buns - One Perfect Bite
Cinnamon Rolls - One Perfect Bite


This post is being linked to:

Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting