Kolaches

"Bez práce nejsou koláce (without work there are no kolaches)." –Czech proverb

In a medium bowl, cover the apricots with boiling water to rehydrate. Cover the bowl and let them sit overnight or at least six hours.
Drain excess liquid.
In a medium saucepan, warm the rehydrated fruit with the butter, almond extract, and sugar over low heat.
Use a potato masher to soften and mix the cooked fruit.
Once softened, remove the filling from the heat and let it cool completely. (For a smoother texture, you can purée the filling in a food processor.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl, if you don’t have a mixer), combine the 1 tablespoon sugar, the yeast, and the warm water; set aside until yeast starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until it registers 98° to 105°F on a candy thermometer.
Stir in the shortening until just melted, then remove the mixture from heat and let it cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
Add the salt, egg yolks, and remaining ½ cup sugar and whisk well.
Add the milk-egg mixture to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
Add the bread flour, 1 cup at a time, and work with a dough hook (or wooden spoon) until a soft, moist, glossy dough forms (about the time it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl).
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
After the dough has risen, punch it down to remove any air in the dough. Lightly flour a work surface.
Use a tablespoon to remove small portions of dough and drop them onto the floured surface, rolling them into egg-size pieces using the palms of your hands.
Place them on greased baking pans in rows of 4 across and 5 down (about 1 inch apart) for a pan of 20.
Brush the dough balls with the melted butter.
Place them back in a warm, draft-free area, covered with tea towels, to let rise for 20 minutes more.

Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. (The topping can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready for use.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make a deep, round impression in the center of each ball of dough and fill it with 1 to 2 teaspoons filling. (Be careful not to press through the bottom of the dough, or the filling will ooze out while baking.)
Let the kolaches rise again for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Sprinkle the kolaches with the desired amount of topping. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from Sweet on Texas, by Denise Gee. Published by Chronicle Books.