Monday 14 November 2011

Honeyed Apple Kuchen

This is just a variant of the last recipe, but I was particularly pleased with it so wanted to put it up sooner rather than later. The honey glaze makes it sticky and delicious.

Ingredients:
For the dough:

400g strong white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
50g runny honey
1/2 packet easy-blend yeast (about 3g)
2 eggs
Grated zest of an orange
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
125ml lukewarm milk
50g butter, softened

For the topping:
1 egg
1 tbsp cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 cox apples, or less of a larger variety- use a well flavoured eating apple.
1 tbsp demerara sugar

To glaze:
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp boiling water

Method
Put the flour in a bowl with the salt  and easy-blend yeast. In another bowl, beat the eggs and add them, with the orange zest, honey and cinnamon, to the lukewarm milk. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients to make a medium-soft dough, being prepared to add more flour as necessary. Work in the softened butter and knead by hand for about 10 minutes or half that time by machine. When the dough is ready it will appear smoother and springier.
Cover with a tea towel and leave till doubled in size, about an hour. Then punch down and press to line a Swiss-roll or baking tray tin measuring 30 x 20 cm. When it's pressed out on the tin, leave it to prove for 15-20 minutes then brush with the egg and cream mixture.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Peel and chop the apples into small cubes. Arrange the fruit over the egg-washed dough and then sprinkle the demerara sugar on top. Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down to 180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for a further 20 minutes or so, until the dough is swelling and golden.
Mix the honey with 1 tbsp water from a freshly boiled kettle. Drizzle over the kuchen, eat.

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