Apple Kuchen - Dessert - Fall 2022, Episode 13

Описание: One Saturday we invited my cousins Dave & Sue over for dinner. I wanted something special for dessert and I know Dave loves apple desserts.

So I went to my recipe file and searched for something different. This recipe caught my eye as it was a yeasted cake with an oatmeal crumble topping. I haven’t any idea where I had clipped it from years ago and there were several things that the recipe called for that I didn’t have like tapioca and apple pie spice. Nor did I have Granny Smith apples. But I did have cornstarch, lots of spices and Honeycrisp apples.

So I created something just a bit different. The cake part is moist, but not fluffy like a birthday cake. It has the density to hold the apples which is the point. The apples cook just enough to have some crunch to them, without being hard. Overall, it turned out great! And it makes a great breakfast the next morning too 😊

Apple Kuchen
Serves 12

2 ¼ cups flour, all purpose
1 pkg. active dry yeast
½ cup milk
½ cup sugar, white
4 Tbsp. butter (this is ½ stick)
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs

4 large apples, (I used Honeycrisp, but Granny Smith work well too)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice – about ½ of a large lemon
⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1½ tsp. cinnamon, ground
½ tsp. ginger, ground
¼ tsp. cloves, ground
¼ tsp. nutmeg, ground
¼ tsp. star anise, ground

½ cup brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup flour, all purpose
¼ cup oats
4 Tbsp. butter (this is ½ stick)

1. Grease the 9”x13” pan and set aside (I sprayed with Pam).
2. In a large bowl, add the yeast to 1 cup of the flour and set aside.
3. In the small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter and salt until the butter starts to melt. Remove from the heat. You just want the butter to start to melt and it can finish melting off the heat. You are doing this to warm up the milk to activate the yeast, so it shouldn’t get any hotter than 110º.
4. Remove from heat and add to the flour & yeast mixture along with the eggs. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add remaining flour and combine to form a smooth, stiff batter.
5. Spread batter into the 9”x13” pan until it covers the bottom.
6. In the small bowl, use a fork to mix first portion of brown sugar, cornstarch and spices. You want to mix all the cornstarch in so it doesn’t get lumpy with the apples.
7. Peel, core and slice (¼ - ½ inch thick) apples and place in the other large bowl. Pour lemon juice over to coat and help the apples not to brown. Add brown sugar/cornstarch/spice mix and stir so everything is coated evenly.
8. Using that same small bowl (who wants to do more dishes?) place second portion of brown sugar, flour and oats. Add softened butter and mix together with your hands until all the butter and dry goods are blended together and little clumps are formed for the crumble.
9. Pour apple mixture over the dough and evenly distribute them. Spread crumble on top of the apples. Cover.
10. Place pan in a warm spot. If it’s a cool day, I sometimes put it in the oven with just the light on to create a warm place. Let rise for about an hour – it will get a little puffy, but won’t double in size like bread because of the toppings on the top.
11. Preheat oven to 375º - if you ‘ve used the oven as a proofing box, make sure you take the Apple Kuchen out first – lol!
12. Bake uncovered for 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. I like to serve with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Tools needed:
9”x13” pan
Two large bowls
One small bowl
Measuring spoons & cups
Saucepan
Spoon
Spatula
Fork