Hello Fellow Stampers -
Happy Saturday -- and here's to a fun creative day ahead, I'm hoping for anyway. I'll probably start the day with some cleaning and errand-running, but after that I hope to hit the Studio and do some work on Christmas gifts and other fun things. There's always some organization, sorting, and clean out going on too!
As promised the other day, I thought I'd share some fun stuff with everyone today. Miss Sadie Ann experienced her very first snow in her short young 7 month life this past Wednesday morning. Needless to say, it was hilarious, and I think I'm going to be gigging and smiling for a long time to come every time I see this video. So here's sharing a smile with you all today --
See what I mean -- hilarious! I'm hoping she'll eventually find the "fun" in snow, especially as we head into Winter. Laredo Mae loved snow, and would absolutely bounce through the snow drifts, bury and burrow, throw snow in the air with her nose, and all sorts of antics. It really was like watching pure Joy! So I'm hoping that Miss Sadie will find Joy in this "Winter Sugar" eventually as well ! She is still pretty young and is just starting to experience all these new adventures!
Sooooo -- last Saturday's post was pretty interesting. I never expected in a million years to get such a response out of one simple word - Kuchen! Who would've thunk! LOL So, let's talk Kuchen a little bit today.
Kuchen is actually a German pastry. Basically, the base is a sweet dough, shaped as a "pie crust" shape, and filled with a custard filling that can either be just plain custard, or have fruit added. My favorite has always been peach custard kuchen. But Grandma always made a number of different fruit kuchen, as well as the plain custard. Traveling to North Dakota as a child most certainly included Kuchen at breakfast, and even when visiting different relatives homes as an afternoon treat. It was a treat to look forward to indeed and one of my favorite eats. We always said we gained 10 pounds in a week visit home. I'm sure it had plenty to do with the wonderful food, not the least of which was the Kuchen.
I personally believe that Kuchen is not one of those recipes that you can just pick up and make. Kuchen is handed down and taught. And frankly, in German families, Kuchen can vary in how it is made and the end result of that recipe. I can tell you, in all honesty, that the recipe of my Maternal Grandmother is different from the recipe of my Paternal Grandmother. I prefer my Paternal Grandmother's recipe, and it is the one that in the end I have returned to over the years. This recipe, like many others I have, is handed down from prior generations. My Great-Great Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother passed this recipe on.
Per request from a number of my followers this past week, I am going to share my Paternal Grandmother's recipe for Kuchen with you all today. I will caution you -- this is a large recipe, which is normal for German farm families. Baking would have occurred on a certain day each week, and the intent would have been to put up a week's worth of baking and food stocks for feeding of the large farm meals for the rest of that week. I make this recipe, and then freeze my Kuchen for use as I need or want it. Kuchen freezes well and it's nice to have on hand for guests or a special event. Use simple 8" pie tins that you can wrap in plastic and freeze once your Kuchen is baked and cooled. I will also give one more note of caution. If you have never made true German Kuchen, don't expect this to come out right the first time, or even the second. It takes practice, and some knowledge of what the end result should look like and taste like. Your custard center should be smooth and creamy. Your crust should puff up and bake up like a thick bread (thus, the scalded milk discussed below). Enjoy - and don't hesitate to ask questions and I'll try to answer them if I can. Remember, this is a very, very old recipe -- using good old-fashioned baking and cooking techniques that many aren't as familiar with today. Don't be overwhelmed!! 😉😉
KLEIN KUCHEN
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. milk, scalded & cooled*
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt (we call it a "dash")
4 c. flour
1 pkg. yeast soaked in 1/2 c. warm water with 1 tsp sugar
Directions:
Mix sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and milk; add yeast, and then slowly add flour, mixing well, until all is added and your mixture forms a soft ball. Roll into ball and knead. Keep soft as you can handle. Spread with softened butter and return to bowl; cover and let double in size in warm place. Punch down, and separate into 5 to 6 separate balls; set in pie pans and let rest until each ball puffs up a little; then using your fingers, spread dough to cover bottom and sides of pie pan; prick with a fork.
Custard Mixture:
3 eggs, 1 cup cream, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. flour. Fruit Options: Peaches, Apples, Apricots (dried, soaked & cut), Blueberries.
Mix and whip eggs, cream, sugar, and flour until smooth. Mix fruit of choice and cream mixture together and spread in pans. Sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon. Let rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
*Do you know how to "scald milk," or even what that means? Some baking recipes call for scalded milk; that is, milk brought nearly to a boil and then cooled down. Scalded milk makes yeast breads lighter and sponge cakes springier. Check out this Video for an easy guide on how to scald milk.
Have a Wonderful Weekend Everyone! Happy Creating -- Happy Baking!
Until Next Time . . .
