MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — National Dessert Day, Oct. 14, gives Mitchell residents an opportunity to celebrate with the delicious official state dessert, kuchen.

This traditional German-Russian pastry became the state dessert in 2000 and features a sweet dough crust filled with custard. This apple version offers a variation on the South Dakota classic, pairing a buttery crust with a cream cheese filling and cinnamon-topped apples.

Apple kuchen

Ingredients

  • Crust: 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 sticks cold of unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
  • Filling: 1 pound of softened cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 room-temperature egg.
  • Topping: 3 thinly sliced, cored Granny Smith apples, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon.

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt, then mix in the vanilla and butter. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Let the crust cool and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Mix in the egg, then spread the filling over the cooled crust.
  4. Arrange the apples over the filling. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle the mixture over the apples.
  5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and firm.