Grandma Tillys Kuchen Food

GRANDMA'S GERMAN KOLACHES

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, yeast, and salt. Add 1.5 cups of hot water (but not boiling). Beat this and then add eggs, mixing. Add the other 3 cups of flour.
• Knead until smooth and satiny, about 8 to 10 minutes. Form into a ball.
• Lightly grease a large bowl (at least twice as large as your ball of dough). Put the dough round side down in the greased bowl, then turn over so that the greased side is up. Cover with a slightly damp towel. Put in a warm place (or as warm as you have in the winter, but not a lit oven). Let it rise until doubled, about 75 minutes. You don't want to leave the dough too long, however. Dough can actually over-rise.
• Punch down the dough. Reshape into a ball. Recover bowl. Let rise till double. It should take less time this time around, but it varies -- maybe 45 - 60 minutes. All of these rises can take longer if your house is cold.
• If using a prune filling, simmer them with some water until soft; mash thoroughly. Let cool.
• If desiring an apricot filling but not having access to canned Solo filling, you can make it out of dried apricots. Snip 3/4 cups of dried apricots into small pieces. Simmer,covered, with 1-1/2 cups water for 10 minutes. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes more. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let cool before using.
• Pinch off balls of dough about 1.5 inches in diameter. Pat out into a circle. Put a spoonful of filling inside. Fold over and seal. Put in pan. Parchment-lined cookie sheets work well. The recipe doesn't say it, but I'd leave some room between them because they'll grow during the next rise -- yep, let rise again. This rise should be 45 - 60 minutes.
• Make topping: crumble together 1.25 cups flour, sugar and butter.
• Make a groove in the center of each and put on a big pinch of topping. Bake at 350°F until nicely golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
• NOTE: This is how my recipe card reads; however, I swear that I remember her making them the following way. Pinch off the ball of dough. Make an indentation in it. Fill with a spoonful of the filling. Sprinkle topping on it before baking.

BLITZ KUCHEN

Steps:

• Cream sugar and butter, add egg yolks.
• Sift flour with baking powder, add alternately with milk, add vanilla.
• Beat 4 egg whites until stiff.
• Add sugar to egg whites and whip until it stands in peaks.
• Put batter in 2 greased layer cake pans.
• Pile meringue on top of each layer and sprinkle with coconut or chopped nuts.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

GRANDMA'S APPLE KUCHEN

Steps:

• 1. In a stand mixer, mix the warm water, honey, and yeast until the honey is dissolved. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes until slightly frothy.
• 2. Mix in flour, eggs, salt, and canola oil until just combined. Switch to a dough hook attachment and knead until the dough comes together. Ball up the dough on the bottom of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 hours. Dough will rise to double in size and get a little poofy.
• 3. Place a 9-inch spring-form pan on a cookie sheet and coat with cooking spray. Mix cut up apples with cinnamon and sugar (I used more cinnamon than the original recipe because I love it).
• 4. Transfer dough to a greased surface and flatten in a rectangle (about 8x10 inches). Place half the apples down the center of the dough (long-ways) and fold over half the dough. Then, place the other half of the apples on the folded part and fold over the other side. With a knife or pizza cutter (I thought the pizza cutter was easier) slice the dough down the middle long-ways and then slice about 8 times on the sides. The apples will fall out, don't worry about it.
• 5. Place the dough pieces on the bottom of the spring-form pan so that they are all smashed together. Place any of the fallen apples on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
• 6. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Brush the top of the bread with an egg wash (1 egg and a tbsp of water) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Mine took 60. Serve warm and drizzeled with honey if you want!

GRANDMA GELDNER'S APFEL KUCHEN (APPLE KUCHEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix 1 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, 2 tsp sugar, and salt and sift once.
• Cut 1/2 cup butter into dry mix with a pastry blender to pea size.
• In a small bowl, beat egg with 2 T milk and add to dry mix.
• Mix thoroughly and pat dough into a greased or oiled 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Pare and core apples.
• Cut into thin wedge slices and place on dough in rows until covered. We would cover the thin end of one apple with the thick end of the other.
• Dot apples with 2 T butter and mix 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 Tbs flour and cinnamon together.
• Spread dry topping over dotted apples, and bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.