 | KuchenYield: Three 9-inch pie-shaped kuchens Chef Ryan Nitschke of Luna Fargo | Fargo, ND |
There is quite a big presence of German heritage and influence in North Dakota. I grew up eating a lot of kuchen, oftentimes in a church basement or at a family get-together. I thought it would be fun to take this rather simplistic quintessential German pastry and elevate it with a more modern twist. With the help of The Perfect Purée, I was able to infuse delicious and otherwise not readily available fruits into the versatile canvas that is kuchen. I used the Lychee and Meyer Lemon flavors together to make a harmonious combination, with the addition of the Meyer Lemon white chocolate crumb. Elevated but not too fancy for gatherings of any kind.
Ingredients for Kuchen Dough:
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. yeast
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
Ingredients for Custard Filling:
• ½ cup honey
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup The Perfect Purée Lychee Puree, thawed
• 2 tbsp. The Perfect Purée Meyer Lemon Concentrate, thawed
Ingredients for White Chocolate Crumb:
• ¾ cup dry milk, divided
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. The Perfect Purée Meyer Lemon Concentrate, thawed
• 3 oz. white chocolate, melted
To Assemble and Serve:
• honey
• lemon zest
Method for Kuchen Dough:
In a small saucepan, bring milk to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Add sugar and butter, whisking until dissolved. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in the milk mixture and let sit 5 minutes, or until bubbling. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add egg, then flour and salt. Fold and knead until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down, cover again, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, punch down and divide into three equal portions. Roll each into a round to fit a 9-inch pie tin. Grease tins and press dough into each pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.
Method for Custard Filling:
Whisk together honey, eggs, cream, The Perfect Purée Lychee Puree, and The Perfect Purée Meyer Lemon Concentrate until smooth. Set aside.
Method for White Chocolate Crumb:
Preheat oven to 250°F on low or no fan. Combine ½ cup dry milk, flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, melted butter, and Meyer lemon concentrate to form a crumble. Spread on parchment and bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Toss the hot crumble with remaining dry milk and melted white chocolate. Cool until chocolate sets.
To Assemble and Serve:
Gently press an indentation ½ inch from the edge of each dough round. Poke centers 4 to 5 times without piercing through. Divide custard evenly among the three pans, keeping within indented edges. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, rotating halfway, until crust is golden brown and filling is just set and slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and divide White Chocolate Crumb evenly over tops, pressing gently into each kuchen. Cool completely in the refrigerator. Once chilled, cut into slices. Garnish with honey and meyer lemon zest. Serve cold.