Mom's Kuchen

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 (1/3 ounce) packages yeast
• 2/3 cup water (110-115 degrees)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup solid shortening (crisco)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups milk, scalded and cooled
• 10 -11 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• cinnamon, for sprinkling

Recipe

• 1 soak the yeast in the 2/3 cup water with the one tablespoon sugar. let set 10 minutes.
• 2 in a large bowl, mix the shortening, sugar and eggs with a mixer.
• 3 add in the salt and scalded milk.
• 4 add in the yeast mixture.
• 5 mix in 3 cups flour. add remaining flour a little at a time to make a soft dough.
• 6 cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
• 7 while dough is rising, combine all ingredients for custard topping in 2 quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. be sure to stir it constantly as it will burn. remove from heat and let cool.
• 8 punch down dough and make into kuchens. i divide the dough in half and then divide each half into fourths.
• 9 form each into ball and then press dough out and up sides of greased pans.
• 10 add fruit filling to each kuchen. i use cherry pie filling, cooked prunes, fresh sliced peaches or peach pie filling as well as cottage cheese filling.
• 11 top each kuchen with a few spoons full of custard filling and spread across fruit. sprinkle with cinnamon.
• 12 let kuchen rise 10 minutes.
• 13 bake about 20 minutes at 350. remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
• 14 as soon as you remove the kuchen from the pan, brush the edges with melted butter to keep them soft.
• 15 store in refrigerator or place in ziplock bag and freeze.
• 16 these freeze well and will taste great reheated in the oven or microwave.