Kuchen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups hot water

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 pkg. dry yeast

Flour to make soft dough

Sugar and cinnamon, mixed

 

Pour 2 cups hot water over butter.  Set aside to cool.  Mix sugar, eggs, and salt.  Soak yeast and 1/4 tsp. sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.  Mix all together and add flour to make dough a little softer than bread dough.  Let rise in bowl.  Punch down and knead until smooth. 

 

Divide dough into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a circle to fit bottom and partially up sides of a greased round cake or pie pan.  Let rise about 20 minutes.  Put a little filling on dough, then add your favorite fruit.  Apples are good, but any other fruit, fresh, frozen (partially thawed), or canned (drained well) will work.  Sprinkle crumbles over fruit.  Add a little more filling and sprinkle a handful of sugar and cinnamon over the top.  Or use the cottage cheese filling below.  Bake at 325 degrees about 25-30 minutes until filling is set and crust is golden.  Makes 12 kuchens.

 

Filling for Kuchens:

 

2 pkg. vanilla pudding  (not instant)

6 cups Half 'n Half

 

Mix and cook until thickened.  Set aside to cool.

 

Crumbles:         2 cups sugar

                          1 1/2 cup flour. 

                          1/2 cup butter

 

Mix until crumbly.

Cottage Cheese Filling for Kuchen: (always a favorite)

 

1 qt. cottage cheese (drain if very juicy)

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

 

Put cottage cheese in blender.  Add sugar, eggs, and lemon juice and blend.  Spoon onto dough in pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake as above.

I can remember these delicious coffee cakes being made by my grandmother Pauline Weisz--always in big batches as she had 12 children.  Some fruits work better than others.  The less juicy ones seem to do best.  The cheese kuchen always gets eaten first.  This is my aunt Erna Rudolf's version of Grandma Weisz's kuchen.