Pear Kuchen Recipes

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together milk and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Add 1/4 cup flour, beating at medium speed until combined. Add whole egg, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups remaining flour. Increase speed to medium and add butter, then continue beating, stopping and scraping down side of bowl once or twice, until dough is shiny and forms strands from paddle to bowl, about 3 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.)
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Roast Pears while dough rises:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Peel pears, cut lengthwise into eighths, and core. Toss pears with melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and arrange in 1 layer.
• Roast pears, gently turning and stirring occasionally, until just tender and lightly caramelized, about 45 minutes. Transfer pears to a plate with a slotted spatula. Stir bread crumbs into baking dish, scraping up all brown bits and butter, then transfer to a bowl. Stir hazelnuts, cinnamon, and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar into bread crumbs.
• Assemble and bake kuchen:
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Transfer dough to springform pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula to cover bottom.
• Sprinkle half of crumb mixture over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Gently toss roasted pears with remaining crumb mixture and scatter pears over dough. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm draft-free place, 30 minutes.
• Bake, uncovered, until firm to the touch and deep golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack, 20 minutes, then carefully remove side of pan. Cool to barely warm or room temperature.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Warm milk to 110 degrees (or until warm to the touch), sprinkle with yeast, stir and let stand for 5 minutes until dissolved. Add butter and stir until mostly melted.
• Butter or oil a large bowl. In a second large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt and egg yolk. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add warm milk mixture and stir until combined and dough comes together in a smooth, sticky ball, about 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, dough can rise in refrigerator overnight.)
• Meanwhile, make the pastry cream: Place a fine-mesh sieve on the rim of a medium bowl. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Whisk in flour, egg, milk, salt, cardamom pods and anise seed. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken, then whisk constantly until it starts to boil. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 2 more minutes, then immediately pour mixture into fine-mesh sieve. Use a spatula to push it through sieve and into bowl. Let cool, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then stir in butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the streusel: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add butter pieces and toss to coat. Use fingertips to rub butter into dry ingredients until pea-size lumps form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Roll out dough: Butter two 9-inch pie plates. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and with floured hands gently knead it into a log. Divide log in half and flatten into discs. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each disc into an 8-inch round. Transfer rounds to pie plates, pressing dough to edges of pan and just slightly up sides. Let rise for about 20 minutes while you prep fruit.
• Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Peel and core pears, then slice them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Assemble the kuchens: Spread about 1/4 cup pastry cream on bottom of each kuchen, stopping 1/2 inch from edge of dough, then arrange pear slices in an overlapping circular pattern on top. Divide remaining pastry cream between kuchens and carefully spread it evenly over pears. Sprinkle streusel over both and bake in center of oven until dough is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (If your oven can't accommodate both kuchens, refrigerate one while the other bakes.) Serve warm or at room temperature. Baked kuchens can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen up to 1 month. Rewarm before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture. Spread dough with hands over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of prepared springform pan. Arrange peach slices in a spoke pattern over the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour, confectioners' sugar and salt. Cut in butter to form a dough. Pat lightly into an ungreased 11x7-in. baking pan. , Arrange peaches over the crust; set aside. In another bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in the sugar, salt, flour and sour cream until mixture is smooth. Pour over the peaches. , Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°; bake 35 minutes more or until center is set. Serve warm or chilled. Store in the refrigerator.