What’s Kuchen?

Here’s a perfect-for-picnics German pastry (or kuchen) from one of my cooking school students. It is simple to assemble and easy to carry. A rich butter crust is partially baked, then spread with raspberry jam, topped with a pecan-meringue mixture and baked a little longer. For a picnic, pack fresh raspberries and mint sprigs as a garnish.

BETTY GORMAN’S RASPBERRY KUCHEN

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 (12-ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam

1 pint fresh raspberries, cleaned

Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Place butter in bowl of electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add egg yolks and flour and beat until ingredients are well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove dough from mixer and spread and flatten evenly onto bottom of 8-inch springform pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees on center shelf of oven 15 minutes.

While crust is baking, prepare meringue. Place egg whites in bowl of electric mixer and beat on high speed until whites start to expand and hold shape. Then, with mixer running, gradually add sugar-cinnamon mixture. Beat several minutes until whites are stiff and shiny. Remove meringue from mixer and fold in pecans. Set aside.

When crust has baked 15 minutes, remove from oven leaving oven on. Spread raspberry jam evenly over warm crust. Then use spatula to spread meringue evenly over jam layer.

Return kuchen to oven and bake until meringue is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes more. Remove and cool to room temperature. Cover loosely with foil and store up to 1 day at cool room temperature.

To serve, remove sides from springform pan. Place kuchen on serving platter. Garnish top and sides with fresh raspberries and mint sprigs. Cut into 8 wedges. Makes 8 servings.