Raspberry Kuchen With Greek Yogurt

Don't shy away at the sight of 'yogurt'. This kuchen is delicious!

Using nonfat Greek yogurt instead of creamed cheese will reduce the fat content.

Though fresh berries would be the absolute best, if you can only get your
hands on a bag of frozen berries, they will do just fine. Try the kuchen with
frozen berries, save the recipe, and when fresh berries are available, give it
another whirl. Be adventurous. Try blackberries. Blueberries. Just about any
cane berry should be delicious!

When we are younger, we don't often think in too much detail about what
we eat. Oh, sure, everyone knows the basics. Get a good night's sleep, drink
plenty of water, eat your fruits and vegetables. But then you get a little older
and you start looking at your cholesterol levels. LDL, HDL, what does it all
mean? It means watching what we stick in our mouth. This is an easy recipe
that can be adjusted according to the degree of minding your diet. We could
all stand to be more mindful of our arteries, you know.

Step 1: The Recipe...

This recipe was found in two different forms. Initially, I discovered this recipe in a cook
book from the public library. When I searched for it online in order to print, I found
a blog with an amended version of the same recipe, but using real eggs instead
of egg product (cholesterol), and no salt (sodium). 'Egg product' is not something
often kept in our refrigerator, so we went with the other recipe.

The following is the recipe used in this particular Instructable, provided by a wonderful
blog entitled 'One Perfect Bite'. Thank you, Mary!

1 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar, divided into half cup portions
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder - NOT baking soda
1/4 cup butter (will later be melted)
3 eggs (will be separated and divided)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (will be divided)
1 and 1/2 cups plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon zest

Below, you will find another, yet very similar version as found in the Better Homes & Gardens
'Favorite Desserts Made Lighter' cookbook from 1994, pages 60-61. For those who are trying
to watch your diet, this version features the following reductions:

50% fewer calories
70% less fat
95% less cholesterol
65% less sodium

Non-stick spray coating
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of margarine, melted
1/4 cup of egg product
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Step 2: Gather Your Ingredients...

You will need:

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
FAT FREE GREEK YOGURT
EGGS
A LEMON
VANILLA EXTRACT
SALT
SUGAR
BUTTER
RASPBERRIES or other cane berries

Step 3: A Springform Pan Is Required...

A Springform pan is a nifty metal ring pan with a buckle on the side.
When the buckle is unlatched, the ring opens enough to lift it
up from the dessert, leaving the bottom section of the pan intact
and still under your dessert.

To use a Springform, unlatch the ring, place the ring over the bottom
section of the pan, which has a groove for the lip of the ring. Once your
ring is in the groove, snap the buckle (or latch) closed. This will keep the
ring attached to the pan.

This type of pan is very handy for desserts that would otherwise not take too
kindly to being 'dumped' out as you would a Bundt or other pan cake. Delicate
desserts such as cheesecake often require the use of a Springform.

So. Latch that buckle, slap on your lightweight plastic glove (or you can use
a paper towel) and butter that baby very well, insides, walls and bottom. Don't get
carried away, just butter it so nothing will stick.

Step 4: A Little Bit of Prep...

A recipe simply flows better when you have all of your
ingredients ready to go. Measuring everything ahead of time is
not only more organized, but you won't be fumbling with measuring
and dragging out products that take up counter space.

In recipes such as this one that call for division of the ingredients
for different steps, having them prepped eliminates confusion as well.

Grate the rind of a fresh lemon. Reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter, preferably salted, but don't fret too much about
'salted' versus 'unsalted' for this recipe. Life is too short.

Measure one cup of all-purpose flour. Set aside.
Measure another 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt. Return to the
refrigerator until called for, especially if the weather is warm while
making this kuchen. It was over 100 degrees when I made this one.

In a tiny bowl, measure 1 teaspoon of baking powder. In the
same bowl, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt. No sense in using another
bowl for such a minute measurement. :-)

Set aside two bowls, each with 1/2 cup sugar.

Using three eggs, separate the yolk from the white from two of the eggs.
You will now have one whole egg, a bowl with two egg whites, and a
bowl with two egg yolks.

Measure two cups of frozen berries, return to the freezer until called for,
allowing approximately 15 minutes of thawing time before their use.

I rarely measure out extracts ahead of time, but you can, if you desire.
For me, it seems to encourage an accidental spill, and never fails to happen
when you are on your last teaspoon of extract and don't feel like traveling to
the grocery store because you were a doodie-head.

Step 5: Thaw and Sort the Raspberries (if Frozen)...

Fresh berries would be the absolute best choice for this kuchen, but
in an out-of-season pinch, frozen berries will be just fine. Just give
them about fifteen minutes to thaw and drip dry.

A 12 oz. bag is more than sufficient for the recipe, as well providing extra
berries left over for garnishing the plate.

I prefer to use as many whole berries as possible, so I sort them out
by size on a paper towel to allow them to thaw and drip. The 'crumbs'
of the broken berries are great for sprinkling along the edge of the pan
on top of the kuchen.

Step 6: Make the Batter for the Base...

Gather the following ingredients, which were measured
and prepared in step 2:

1/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 cup of sugar
2 egg whites

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking
powder and salt. Give it a whisk to stir up the dry ingredients.
Add melted butter, egg white and vanilla, stir to blend, but do not beat.

Once completely mixed, spread the batter into the springform pan, using
a spatula to smooth it out evenly.

Step 7: Add the Raspberries to the Top of the Dough...

You don't have to be fancy, but try to be tidy about placement of
the berries. Equally distribute them all over the top of the dough.
The berries don't have to stand on their flat sides, I'm just being
particular.

Step 8: Prepare the Yogurt Topping...

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the following. If you
followed the Instructable, these items should already be measured
and ready to go as created in step  4.

1 and 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons of flour
1 whole egg (minus the shell, of course)

Place the yogurt into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle
the flour on top, gently whisk or mix, then add remaining ingredients.
Blend well, but no need to beat.

Step 9: Pour the Topping Over the Berries...

Gently pour the yogurt topping over the berries, using a flat
tool to evenly distribute the topping. Be mindful of the berries,
you don't want to move them around and make a mess of the
dessert.

Step 10: Bake at 350 Degrees for a Few Minutes Shy of One Hour...

Carefully slide the kuchen onto the oven rack of a preheated oven set at 350 degrees.
Though 55 minutes should be plenty, don't be afraid to leave it in a few more minutes
to ensure the middle is not jiggly.Set on a heat safe surface, and allow to cool for at
least fifteen minutes before proceeding to the next step.

Step 11: Cool, Remove the Springform Ring...

After removing the kuchen from the oven and allowing it to cool for fifteen minutes,
unlatch the buckle, but do not yet remove the ring. Carefully slide the blade of a knife
between the kuchen and the springform ring. This step will assist any part of the kuchen
that might stick.

Step 12: Carefully Transfer to a Cake Plate or Serving Platter...

Contrary to what might appear in the image further below, the kuchen is not
floating in blue space. A very slim plastic cutting board sheet was used to slide the
kuchen from the springform platter to a cake plate. Easy, slowly.
The kuchen is still very delicate at this stage. If you are not feeling brave, you can
always leave the kuchen on the bottom part of the springform pan, but remember
to use a plastic cutting tool, or you may cut into the metal of your pan under the
kuchen.

Step 13: Chill Until Serving Time...garnish, If Desired. Serve With a Big Smile on Your Face!

Delicious right out of the oven, but in my opinion, even better once
it has had a chance to chill. Though best covered in the refrigerator,
plastic wrap is an invitation to ruin the top of the kuchen. Try to find
something to cover it with that will not come into contact with the
kuchen. A dome, a lid of some sort. Best when served within the week.

Place a few strawberries on the plate next to the kuchen, if you desire.

Light and delicious, a good choice when you've had a big meal but would
still like a bit of dessert. Small slices, remember.

BON APPETIT!