Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Your Wish Is My Command

Helen asked for the kuchen recipe, so here it is: First make the yeast dough.

Scald a half cup milk into which has been stirred a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar and generous pat of butter which will melt as the milk scalds. Then let milk cool until it's lukewarm [when a drop on the wrist feels only warm is the test]. Stir in and dissolve a half tablespoon of dry yeast. Then mix in one egg. And finally stir in two cups of flour which will make a soft dough. When it's well mixed let the dough rise until double. When it's double dump it onto a floured board and kneed just a little bit and then pat it into a lightly buttered pan which is 8" or 9" either square or round and 2 or 3 inches deep. Let it sit about half an hour in a warm place to rise a bit again. [Note: some fruit may produce juice that will run over the sides of a too shallow pan.]

Meanwhile prepare whatever fruit you're going to use. I used 1-1/2 cup chopped raw rhubarb and with 1/2 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Most other fruits need no extra sugar but some, like apples or peaches, need to be sliced or diced, berries of course just need have stems removed. Prepared fruit goes on top of the dough.

Streussel topping: combine 1/2 cup each sugar and flour, grated rind of a lemon, 1/2 cup chopped nuts [your choice, or skip them] and 1/3 cup of melted butter. Drop struessel in bits all over the top. It'll spread as it cooks.

Then bake at 350 degrees F. for about 35 minutes. It is yummy.

And, Helen, I'm sorry these are all American and not British measurements. I'm trusting you to be able to figure the conversions as I, like most Americans, am an ignoramus about converting metrics/inches/pounds/cups and so on

2 comments :

Unknown said...

I got you for a swap on Swap Bot so I decided to swing by your blog. I envy your recent retirement. Are you near the beach on the Cape? I've never been there so I only have a hazy view of the geography.
Happy quilting and I hope you like the card (May flowers) when you get it.
Best,
Sarala

Unknown said...

Thanks June - I shall have to try this soon. I have the rhubarb all awaiting. But, although I know the US measuremets OK, I have no idea how to scald a cup of milk! And I assume dry yeast is the powdered stuff rather than the lumps of fresh yeast that my Mum used to use but which I now never see?!