Instructions: Makes about 24 buns.

Claimed by Czechs and Poles, these sweet buns are served with morning and afternoon coffee. Fillings of prune, apricot, poppy seed, or cottage cheese are folded into an envelope of dough and baked until golden brown, then sprinkled with confectioners sugar.

Scald the milk by bringing it just to a boil, then remove it from the heat, and add the butter, sugar, and salt. Cool to room temperature and beat in the egg yolks. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add to the milk mixture with 2 cups of the flour. Beat this for 5 minutes, until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a very soft dough. Cover the dough with a towel and allow it to rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Chop the fruit and mix with the orange juice, water, and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat until the mixture becomes thick, about 15 minutes. Cool, then stir in the orange rind and liqueur (or orange juice). Pour this into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the fruit is coarsely chopped.

Stir the dough down with a wooden spoon. Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead it with floured hands for several minutes. Divide the dough in half. Cut each half into 12 pieces. Lightly roll or pat each piece into a small rectangle and place on a greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place a dollop of filling on each rectangle, then fold each corner up toward the center to cover the filling, but allow some of it to peep through. Let these rise about 45 minutes, or until double in size. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, dust with confectioners sugar, and serve warm.

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