South Dakota Kuchen

Makes 6 servings

German immigrants who settled in the Dakotas did a lot of baking, and they were especially known for their yeast dough coffee cakes, or kuchen. Sometimes the kuchen was simply a plain sweet dough, hut more often it was topped with fresh fruit, cottage cheese, or custard. We used apples on ours, hut feel free to get creative with this.

FILLING

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut lengthwise into 1/q-inch slices (about 6 cups)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

DOUGH

1 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pats
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/Z teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs

FINISH

Vegetable oil cooking spray

FOR THE FILLING, place the hutter and apple slices in a heavy 3-quart pot over high heat. Add the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes. Stir the beaten eggs into the apple mixture. Let the filling cool while you prepare the dough.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

FOR ThE DOUGH, bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside. Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor and distribute the cream cheese and butter pats evenly over the flour. Add the salt, yeast, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and process 15 to 20 seconds. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time. With the machine running, add the hot milk in a steady stream. Process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary, until thoroughly blended, about 10 to 15 seconds. The dough will be very soft, almost like wet putty.

TO FINISH, coat a baking pan or casserole approximately 15 by 10-1/2 by 2-1/4 inches deep with cooking spray. Turn the dough into the pan and spread as evenly as possible with a rubber spatula. Pour the apple mixture over the dough and place the pan in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 35 minutes.

Bake until baked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. (Test with a toothpick; if the toothpick comes out dry, the kuchen is done.)

Serve warm, with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.