Blueberry Kuchen
Submitted by loz
A German-style blueberry kuchen with a buttery press-in crust, cinnamon-spiced baked berries, and a crown of fresh blueberries on top. Five cups of berries in every pie.
YIELD
1 piePREP
40 minCOOK
50 minREADY
90 minKuchen is the German word for cake, but this one lands somewhere between a tart and a pie, and that’s exactly what makes it so good.
You press a simple butter-and-flour crust into a round cake pan (no rolling pin needed), pile it high with cinnamon-dusted blueberries, and bake until the edges are golden and the filling is bubbling.
Here’s the clever twist: as soon as it comes out of the oven, you scatter two more cups of fresh berries on top. They soften just slightly from the residual heat, giving you layers of jammy baked fruit and bright, juicy fresh fruit in every slice.
Dust it with powdered sugar and let it rest before cutting. The contrast of warm pastry and cool berries is something special.
Chef Tips
- The vinegar in the crust isn’t for flavor. It inhibits gluten development, which means a more tender, flaky pastry without overworking the dough.
- Press the crust evenly and work it about an inch up the sides so the filling doesn’t leak.
- Bake on the lowest oven rack for the crispest bottom crust. The berries release a lot of juice and you want that base to hold up.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
PASTRY: Place flour, sugar and salt in a medium size mixing bowl.
Cut in the chilled butter, then rub mixture with your finger tips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle with the vinegar and shape gently into dough.
Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch round cake pan to a thickness of about ¼ inch.
The crust should be worked to 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
FILLING: Place the 3 cups of blueberries on the crust.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon into the flour and sprinkle evenly over the berries.
Place in the oven on the lowest rack and bake for 50 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of blueberries.
Let the kuchen rest at room temperature for about an hour.
Then sprinkle with the powdered sugar and serve.
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