Kuchen

The original recipe calls for Blackberries and a Bramley Apple. I didn't have either, so had to change it around a bit. While I haven't tried the genuine article, likely to be the most delicious, I can attest to this variation being more than satisfactory.

I've heard about the Apple and Blackberry Kuchen from Nigella Bites for years from other Nigella Lawson fans. Still, I admit, while I thought it sounded nice enough, it never really tempted me enough to want to put in the effort to make it. Not that there's really a lot to it, but lazy in the kitchen is me, so why do *anything* if you're not too keen on how it might turn out?

Yesterday I was ironing and to make the time go a bit quicker, I had a video of Nigella Bites on to inspire and delight. The Kuchen appeared. This time, it didn't look difficult at all, it also looked quite delicious. Now, I can't count how many times I have watched the series, so can't possibly explain why this time around, I am tempted to one of the few recipes I haven't tried from the book. I had it in my mind to make it for our Sunday Brunch, and so it has come to pass.

10.45am the children were lured away from the trampoline for a second breakfast, and The Lovely Man, with freshly made coffee in hand dived into his first breakfast for the day. No matter which meal it was, the unanimous decision from all concerned was delicious. Me? I really enjoyed it. We had it warm, and while it wont ever find itself at the top of the ladder of Nigella meals, it's one I would absolutely make again.

Blueberry, Pear and Strawberry Kuchen

For the cake base:

350?400g strong white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
50g caster sugar
3g dried yeast
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
125ml lukewarm milk
50g butter, softened
30 x 20cm Swiss-roll tin (my tin was a little longer and wider, but no ill effect there)

For the topping:

1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of cream and a pinch of ground cinnamon
300g blueberries
1 pear, beginning to ripen
half punnet strawberries cut in half or quarters depending on size
zest of 1/2 lemon
50g self-raising flour
25g ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
25g flaked almonds

Put 350g of the flour in a bowl with the salt, sugar, cinnamon and easy-blend yeast. In another bowl, beat the eggs and add them, with the vanilla extract and lemon zest 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. Nigella generally uses about 400g in all, but I found I added about 100g more flour: just add more as needed. Work in the soft 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 (an hour to an hour and a quarter). Or leave to rise slowly in a cold place overnight. Then punch down and press to line a Swiss-roll tin measuring 30 x 20cm (or thereabouts, mine was larger and it worked fine). You may need to let it rest for 10 minutes or so mid-stretch, especially if the dough has had a cold rise. When it?s pressed out on the tin, leave it to prove for a further 15 minutes or so, then brush with the egg and cream mixture.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel and chop the pear and toss it in a bowl with the blueberries, strawberries and the zest from the other half lemon. Set aside in the bowl for the few minutes it takes to make the crumble topping.

Put the flour, ground almonds and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl, stir to combine, then add the cold, diced butter. Rub in using your fingertips and thumbs. Stop when you have a mixture that resembles clumpy porridge oats, there's a lot of butter, so it wont look as a normal crumble mix might. Gently stir in the sugars and flaked almonds.

Tip the fruit over the egg-washed dough and then sprinkle the crumble on top of that. Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down to 180°C and cook for a further 20 minutes or so, until the dough is swelling and golden at its billowing edges and the crumble is set; you're not looking for a crunchy topping.

Wait for five minutes before you cut it into 8 or 10 pieces.

Serves 8-10

Fresh out of the oven and looking fabulous. With thanks to Arista of 'Eat Up!' who's had this recipe in the back of my head since early August!