Fresh Blackberry Kuchen

I've been waiting since the beginning of June for the tiny green buds on my blackberry bush to turn into plump, juicy blackberries!

Finally, last week, the blackberry bush delivered! I picked handfuls and handfuls of the gorgeous berries. I maneuvered my way around spider webs, stink bugs, and bird poop to find the best looking berries on the thorn-laden stems. My hard work paid off when I baked my thoroughly cleaned blackberries into this yummy kuchen (pronounced "koo-ken")!

This is my impression of you right now: "What the heck is kuchen?" Was that an accurate impression? And here's my impression of Wikipedia: "Kuchen, the German word for cake, is used in other languages as the name for several different types of sweet desserts... The term itself may cover as many distinct desserts as its English counterpart cake." It goes on to list several types of kuchen, including this description which is closest to the kuchen I made today: "A pie-like pastry, with a thick, "cakey" crust and a sweet custard based filling." And lastly, here's my impression of someone who just likes to argue: "Nuh uh! Kuchen is a German yeasted coffee cake!"

No matter what you think a kuchen is (okay now THAT sounds naughty), believe me when I say that this one is really yummy! The recipe I used is from Better Homes and Gardens: New Baking Book. It's a dense cake on the bottom with a sweet/tart, lemony yogurt custard on top. Oh yeah, there's also loads of BLACKBERRIES! I absolutely LOVE the flavor of blackberries and lemon together. I also love the flavor of yogurt with honey. So I replaced some of the sugar in both the cake and the custard recipe with a bit of honey. The end result is a fabulously refreshing dessert that is totally perfect for summertime! If you have any kind of fresh berries sitting in your fridge dying to be eaten before they get wrinkly and mushy, you MUST make this kuchen! ;D

Fresh Raspberry Kuchen (from Better Homes and Gardens: New Baking Book)
Makes 1 9-inch cake (up to 12 servings)

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used blackberries)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 egg whites (save yolks for filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt (I only had 1 cup and it worked fine)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar*
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla

*(In both the cake and the filling I removed 1 tablespoon of sugar and replaced it with 1 tablespoon of honey)
1. If using frozen berries, thaw at room temperature 15 minutes; drain.
2. In food processor bowl or medium mixing bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and the baking powder. Add butter, egg whites, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cover and process, or stir by hand, until mixed well. (Mixture will be like soft cookie dough.) Spread onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan; sprinkle with berries.
3. For filling, place yogurt in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons flour. Add 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until smooth; pour over berries in springform pan.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 55 minutes or until center appears set (slightly wobbly) when shaken gently. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove side of pan. Cover; chill in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
5. To serve, remove pan bottom. Transfer to a platter. If desired, garnish with lemon leaves.

Nutrition facts per serving (12): 187 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 55 mg chol., 111 mg sodium, 30 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.