Rhubarb Kuchen

My mum's Apfelkuchen turned Rhubarb Kuchen 

Beat:

2 eggs

1/4 sugar

Mix: 

1 1/2 flour

1 1/2 tsp b.p

a pinch of salt

Heat oven to 350 F

Other ingredients:

3/4 cup Milk

Add enough milk to make a thick batter.

Pour the thick batter into a greased metal tray, or use a piece of parchment at the bottom (much easier) 

The baked result is a layer of dough/batter that is very thin/flat so spread it out using a spatula, my mother always made it in a flat baking tray type pan. Spread it nice and evenly.

Fruit: Apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly or in this case Rhubarb, cut into thin 1/4 inch rings

Layer the thin slices of apple leaving a small edge (kind of like a pizza but thinner) 

To make the crumb topping

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour + a tbsp if needed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (I use the real Sri Lankan Ceylon cinnamon)

Pinch or grating of ground nutmeg

Mix all the dry ingredients and add the butter, using your fingers press them together to create little crumbs. 

Lay the crumb mixture over the fruit in an even layer and bake for 30 minutes in a  preheated 350 F oven.

Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Last week I bought the last good batch of cherries from the supermarket, it seems the season is nearly over. I've made a lot of things with cherries over the last two summers and it's become one of my favourite fruit, I also have come to enjoy the process of pitting them ^_^

This time I wasn't in the mood for a pie and I don't like tarts.. plus there was a bar of cream cheese that just about expired in my fridge so I figured the combination could work.

I googled both ingredients on hand and came up with this cake, seemed worth a try! I do love cake so very much. MMmmmmm.

I hope you enjoy the following recipe.

Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Reprinted with permission from “Taste of Home Baking”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Dough:

2 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

3/4 CUP SUGAR

3/4 CUP COLD BUTTER, CUBED

1/2 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

1 EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN

3/4 CUP SOUR CREAM (didn't have on hand so I used lebneh which is a middle eastern strained yogurt dip which I made the night before, you can probably use greek yogurt)

1 TEASPOON ALMOND EXTRACT (I used more but the flavour still didn't quite come through, next time I'll use even more)

Filling:

1 PACKAGE (8 OUNCES) CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED

1/4 CUP SUGAR

1 EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN

1 CAN (21 OUNCES) CHERRY PIE FILLING (or fresh pitted cherries cooked down with some sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, I thickened it with a bit of corn starch whisked into a tiny bit of cold water then added into the hot cherries and whisked until thickened a bit - cooled in fridge overnight)

1/2 CUP SLIVERED ALMONDS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to remaining crumb mixture. Stir in egg, sour cream and almond extract until blended. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan with removable bottom.

For filling, in a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar for 1 minute. Add egg; beat just until combined. Spread over crust. Carefully top with pie filling. Top with almonds and reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Store in the refrigerator.

(Recipe courtesy of Ezra Pound Cake)