Black Cherry Cheesecake Kolache #SummerDessertWeek

This post and recipe was created for #SummerDessertWeek. While I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies, as always my opinions remain my own and I was not otherwise compensated.

Imagine a sweet cherry pie filling on top of a cheesecake, but instead of a graham crust it’s baked inside of a puffy cushion of supple yeast dough. That is a black cherry cheesecake kolache!

I know I just posted a breakfast stuffed version not too long ago but it seems I cannot help but come up with new kolache varieties to share with you. So far they have all been savory but in light of it being #SummerDessertWeek it was time to turn to the sweet side.  With a big bag of black cherries that happened to be on sale (hooray seasonal summer fruit) I went to work.

Strangely, despite the fact that kolaches are often filled with sweet cream cheese and my obsession with all creations involving cream cheese, I originally didn’t plan on adding a cream cheese filling to these kolaches. Thankfully I realized how silly this was and halfway through the recipe whipped some up (because I always have cream cheese in stock). The end result tastes like a black cherry cheesecake stuffed inside the best damn dough ever.

As for the rest of my fellow #SummerDessertWeek bloggers, make sure you check out their recipe contributions today listed below the following photo. Some more will continue on tomorrow but then that’s it! Which means time is running out to enter the giveaway if you have not already done so. Just find the widget located at the end of this post. Good luck!

I used Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar, Adams Extract twice as strong vanilla and imitation strawberry, and a Susquehanna Glass Co. “drop anchor” etched cutting board in this post.

Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!

Sweet Summertime Cakes:

• White Chocolate Espresso Cake with Caramel Espresso Buttercream from The Food Hunter’s Guide To Cuisine
• Bee Sting Cake from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Coffee Cake from A Blender Mom
• Tropical Summer Cake from Daily Dish Recipes

No-Bake Treats:

• Banana Pudding No Bake Cheesecake from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Strawberry Cloud Dessert from Shockingly Delicious

Baked Desserts:

• Homemade Blueberry Cream Cheese Danishes from Big Bear’s Wife
• Black Cherry Kolaches from The Spiffy Cookie
• Blackberry Bread Pudding from Eat Move Make
• White Cake with Vanilla Cherry Buttercream Icing from The Beard and The Baker
• Lemon Poppyseed Scones from Mildly Meandering
• Cherry Sweet Rolls from Comfortably Domestic

Sweet Sips:

• Watermelon Slushies from The Domestic Kitchen

Two years ago: Mexican Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Four years ago: Blackberry Basil Sparkler

Six years ago: Banana Ice Cream Nutella Sandwiches

BLACK CHERRY CHEESECAKE KOLACHES

Makes 15

Ingredients:

DOUGH

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1-1/4 cups scalded milk

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 tsp Adams Extract twice as strong vanilla

1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. Red Star active dry yeast

3 cups all-purpose flour

Melted butter, for brushing

CHERRY FILLING

2 cups fresh black cherries, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp Adams Extract imitation cherry (or vanilla)

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 Tbsp Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together. Stir in salt, hot milk, beaten egg yolks, and vanilla extract. When lukewarm, add yeast to mixture. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Add flour, beating well. Knead down into bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile in a medium pot add all the cherry filling ingredients and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until glossy and thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl add all the cream cheese filling ingredients. Beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 10×15-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Divide dough into 15 pieces and roll into rounds in your hands. Place on baking sheet 1-inch apart and let rise 15 minutes.
6. Make a depression into the center of each roll and fill with a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese and cherry filling. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until browned. Remove from oven, brush immediately with butter, and cool on wire racks.

Source: Adapted from my Caramelized Apple & Onion Kolaches.

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