Strawberry Pecan Kuchen

In the early 1990s, I studied German to help with my job and my most lasting benefit was being able to translate German recipes.  This is an adaptation of one of them.

STRAWBERRY PECAN KUCHEN

Strawberry topping:

• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water
• 2 drops almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Kuchen

• 3 Tblsp. canola oil
• 3 Tblsp. sour cream
• 3 Tblsp. milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup plus 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tblsp. chopped toasted pecans for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray or oil an 8″ baking pan

To make strawberry topping: In a medium saucepan, place strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until sauce is thickened and strawberries are soft.  Remove from heat – stir in almond extract and vanilla.   Set aside.

To make kuchen: In a medium bowl, place the oil, sour cream, milk, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Whisk until blended.  Stir in flour just until mixed well.  Batter will be thick – spread batter in prepared 8″ pan, using fingertips dampened with water to push the batter in place.

Spread the reserved strawberry mixture on top of the batter and sprinkle with pecans.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes until cake is browned on edges and beginning to brown on top.

Serve warm.  Yield:  4-6 servings

Lemon Pecan Coffeecake

I like to make something a little special for weekend breakfasts with my oldest daughter.  I adapted this from a recipe I saw on Allrecipes.com

LEMON PECAN COFFEECAKE

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 2 Tblsp. water
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• dash of salt

Topping:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Grease a 9×9 baking pan

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and water, beat well.

In a separate small bowl, mix the sour cream and extracts.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spread half of the batter in the prepared 9×9 pan.  Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle half over the batter in the pan.  Carefully spread the remaining batter on top, using moistened fingertips to push the batter in place.  Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted in the center.

Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.  Delicious with a Saturday morning cup of coffee.

Retro Coffeecake

This recipe goes back to my early days of marriage in 1952.  It came from either a Crisco or Sunbeam mixer cookbook (two of my favorite sources at that time) and I made it countless times.  The crumb topping is very sparse and light but is just right for the cake which is richer than most coffeecakes.  I have always called it my “best coffeecake”.

BEST COFFEECAKE

• 1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tblsp. baking powder
• 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9″ baking pan.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place the shortening, sugar and egg.  Beat until light and fluffy.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, and beating until well blended after each addition.

Pour into a greased and floured 9″ pan.  Sprinkle the following topping on the top of the cake:

TOPPING

• 1-1/2 Tblsp. melted butter
• 4 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tblsp. flour

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and cinnamon.  Stir in the flour and mix well.  Crumble over the top of the unbaked cake.

Bake cake @ 400 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes, until cake tests done.

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack.  Cut into squares to serve while still warm.

In the early 1960s my husband and I were raising three children in a 1922 house on Maple Drive in Oakley (Cincinnati).

I used to bake this cake as a treat during the evening when we didn’t have money for snacks like potato chips and soft drink.   I would omit the crumb topping and after it was cool, frost it with some powdered sugar icing and sprinkle raisins on top.

ICING FOR TOP OF CAKE

• 1 Tblsp. softened butter or margarine
• 1 Tblsp. undiluted evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup powdered or confectioners’ sugar
• Dash of salt

Place all of the above ingredients in a mixer bowl and beat until smooth.  An additional drop or two of evaporated milk can be added gradually to make a good spreading consistency.  Frost top of cooled cake while still in the pan and sprinkle about 3 Tblsp. of raisins on top.

The three kids (age 2, 6 and 8), my husband and I would eat the entire cake that evening while watching television.

Irish Apple Scone Cake

I first saw this recipe on Joy of Baking last summer and bookmarked it as a nice St. Patrick’s Day breakfast item.  The original recipe is here.  The only changes I made were to use thinly sliced apples and to omit an egg used to brush the top of the cake.  Please note that this is a quick bread, not a cake.  It is best when served warm from the oven.  Leftovers can be reheated in the oven.

APPLE SCONE CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

• 1 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3-1/2 cups of peeled, thinly sliced apples
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Topping:

• Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Butter a 9″ pie pan

From the 1/2 cup of milk, remove 1 Tblsp. for brushing cake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Blend the butter into the flour mixture until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, the remaining milk and the vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until the dough comes together.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently four or five times and then divide dough in half.  Pat one half of the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.

In a separate bowl, toss together the apple slices, sugar and cinnamon.  Spread the apples evenly over the bottom  of the dough in the pie pan.

Roll the remaining dough into a 9″ circle on a lightly floured surface and gently place the dough over the apples.  Seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts with your fingers.

Brush the top of the dough with the reserved 1 Tblsp. of milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Cut a slit in the center of the dough to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes until pastry is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Serve warm – clotted cream would be nice with this.

When my daughter and I were in Ireland in 1995, we visited a Folk Farm where two ladies were demonstrating making a huge apple dish and now I wonder if it might have been a large version of the Apple Scone Cake.

Fresh Fruit Kuchen

Before retiring, I worked for 30 years for a manufacturer’s rep and in the 1980s and 90s he started doing business with Germany.  I took German lessons so I could help with translating the letters we received and to send presentable letters back to Germany.  I also used my limited skills to translate many recipes for the boss’s wife.  One of them was for a fruit kuchen which I adapted to my own taste and what was available in the U.S.  The recipe was a good one and a plum version won a Blue Ribbon at our county fair plus a low-fat recipe contest at a Cincinnati paper.  It makes a very tasty morning coffee cake, especially with fresh peaches.  The results aren’t as good with canned fruit.

FRESH FRUIT KUCHEN

3 Tblsp. sour cream

3 Tblsp. milk

3 Tblps. vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp lemon peel

¼ tsp salt

1 cup + 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 lb. fresh fruit, peeled and cored, in thin slices

Cinnamon topping:  2 Tblsp. granulated sugar

and 1 tsp. cinnamon, mixed together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, oil, sugar and lemon peel.  Mix together the salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda, and gradually stir into sour cream mixture.  Place batter in greased 8″ or 9″ pan.  The dough will be stiff and somewhat sticky.  Dampen your hands with water and then press the dough into the pan.

Arrange the peach slices over the top of the cake.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle cinnamon topping over top of cake and continue baking for 5 more minutes.

Place on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Best when eaten warm from the oven.Yield: One 8″ or 9″ kuchen