Post by wilderness on Nov 12, 2018 8:27:58 GMT -5
Mom's Plum Kuchen with an Apple Kuchen Variation-Birdy
Servings: 16
Yield: Two 9" round cakes or one 9" x 13"
This is the original recipe and was a labor of love. It can be simplified by kneading the sweet dough in the bread machine using the dough cycle and move on from there.
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour or more
1 fresh yeast cake (instant dry yeast may be substituted--see link above)
1 tsp. sugar
6 tbsp. warm water
24 Italian freestone prune plums, cut in quarters
Crumb Topping (she never wrote this down so I am approximating what I remember. The cracker crumbs helped to absorb the juice from the plums. You could make a plain streusel like the Apple Kuchen below but we found that the crust got very soggy without the crackers.)
About 2/3 cup brown sugar
About 1/3 cup crushed saltine crackers
About 1 tbsp. cinnamon or to taste.
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a small bowl and set aside to proof.
Scald milk, pour into a large bowl and as it cools, add butter to melt.
When cool, stir in egg and salt. Add flour and mix well. Add yeast mix. Mix to an elastic dough, adding as much flour as necessary to make it soft and pliable. Cover and set in a warm spot away from drafts for about 45 min. or until doubled.
After 45 minutes, knead dough and put it back in warm place covered for 30 more minutes.
Knead down again and place on a floured board. Roll to 1/4 in. thick and line greased cake tins, bringing dough up sides.
Brush the dough in the pan with melted butter. Cut about 24 Italian prune plums in quarters and arrange on their sides covering the dough, except for the very edge. The dough will form a rim as it rises.
Allow the dough to rise lightly covered for about 30 min. to an hour or until almost doubled. After the dough has risen, sprinkle with a mixture of crushed saltine crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The plums will be juicy and this helps to both sweeten the fruit and absorb the extra juices.
Preheat oven to 375° about 1/2 hour before dough is finished rising.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
APPLE KUCHEN VARIATION:
Crumb Topping
2 Tbsp. softened butter
6 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
Cream Topping
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or light cream)
2 Tbsp. sugar
Cover dough with a layer of sliced apples instead, cover lightly, and let rise lightly like above.
A few minutes before it is ready, mix toppings. Blend the crumb topping and set aside. Mix cream topping in a bowl until smooth and set aside.
After the dough with the apples has risen, bake for about 10 min. or until just set. Take crust and apples out of the oven, pour on cream topping and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the custard is set and nicely browned.
Servings: 16
Yield: Two 9" round cakes or one 9" x 13"
This is the original recipe and was a labor of love. It can be simplified by kneading the sweet dough in the bread machine using the dough cycle and move on from there.
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour or more
1 fresh yeast cake (instant dry yeast may be substituted--see link above)
1 tsp. sugar
6 tbsp. warm water
24 Italian freestone prune plums, cut in quarters
Crumb Topping (she never wrote this down so I am approximating what I remember. The cracker crumbs helped to absorb the juice from the plums. You could make a plain streusel like the Apple Kuchen below but we found that the crust got very soggy without the crackers.)
About 2/3 cup brown sugar
About 1/3 cup crushed saltine crackers
About 1 tbsp. cinnamon or to taste.
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a small bowl and set aside to proof.
Scald milk, pour into a large bowl and as it cools, add butter to melt.
When cool, stir in egg and salt. Add flour and mix well. Add yeast mix. Mix to an elastic dough, adding as much flour as necessary to make it soft and pliable. Cover and set in a warm spot away from drafts for about 45 min. or until doubled.
After 45 minutes, knead dough and put it back in warm place covered for 30 more minutes.
Knead down again and place on a floured board. Roll to 1/4 in. thick and line greased cake tins, bringing dough up sides.
Brush the dough in the pan with melted butter. Cut about 24 Italian prune plums in quarters and arrange on their sides covering the dough, except for the very edge. The dough will form a rim as it rises.
Allow the dough to rise lightly covered for about 30 min. to an hour or until almost doubled. After the dough has risen, sprinkle with a mixture of crushed saltine crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The plums will be juicy and this helps to both sweeten the fruit and absorb the extra juices.
Preheat oven to 375° about 1/2 hour before dough is finished rising.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
APPLE KUCHEN VARIATION:
Crumb Topping
2 Tbsp. softened butter
6 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
Cream Topping
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or light cream)
2 Tbsp. sugar
Cover dough with a layer of sliced apples instead, cover lightly, and let rise lightly like above.
A few minutes before it is ready, mix toppings. Blend the crumb topping and set aside. Mix cream topping in a bowl until smooth and set aside.
After the dough with the apples has risen, bake for about 10 min. or until just set. Take crust and apples out of the oven, pour on cream topping and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the custard is set and nicely browned.