Apple Kuchen

I recently returned home after spending a month in South Dakota for an internship with the Indian Health Service.  It was a great month, and I had the opportunity to see parts of the country I had never seen before.  I also had the opportunity to try the official state dessert of South Dakota-- kuchen!  While the meaning of the word “kuchen” can vary widely across different regions, and may refer to several different types of dessert, this apple tart is similar to the kuchen I found in South Dakota.

Prepare and bake crust.  Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and an egg, and pour into crust.

Peel and slice apples

Toss apples with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice, and spread over cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes, then add streusel topping

Bake for an additional 20 minutes and enjoy!

Apple Kuchen

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla, plus ½ teaspoon

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 egg

3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Streusel Topping

½ cup rolled oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Combine ½ cup butter, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla.  Beat in 1 ¼ cups flour.  Mixture should be crumbly.  Press mixture into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan.  Bake for 5 minutes at 350°F, then allow to cool.

3. Beat cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp vanilla until mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Pour mixture into crust.

4. Toss apples with ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.  Spread apple slices over cream cheese mixture and bake for 45 minutes

5. Make streusel topping: Mix together rolled oats, all purpose flour and brown sugar.  Cut the butter into small pieces and cut into the oat mixture to form streusel topping.  Sprinkle the streusel on top of the kuchen and bake for another 20 minutes.

Adapted from Dorothy Zehnder’s Apple Kuchen recipe, found online at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/dorothy-zehnders-apple-kuchen-recipe/index.html

-Posted by Jennifer