German kuchen, bitte

My mother used to make a German kuchen, which was a yeast-type cake spread on a baking sheet. It was then covered with berries and topped with streusel.

It was yummy!

Does anyone have these memories and a recipe?

Thanks.

– Jeanne Fuller, Carmichael

Food around the sound

I recently attended a conference in picturesque Port Gamble, Wash., and had a great meal at Port Gamble General Store and Cafe. It was a chicken-and-potato gratin dish, a special that night, something not on the regular menu.

I'm also looking for the recipe for pumpkin chili verde tamales served at Tres Gringos Tamales in Clinton, Wash.

This restaurant also makes works-of-art wedding cakes.

Thanks for any help.

– Karen Anderson, Freeland, Wash.

Mincemeat pie (filling)

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves 8

Lue Gonsales of Modesto lost her only recipe for mincemeat pie with ready-made mincemeat. She has a pie crust recipe, but doesn't know what to add to the mincemeat, the temperature to bake the pie and the length of time to bake it.

Today's recipes come from Martha Stewart and should fill the bill for Gonsales.

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Pâte brisée (pie dough) see recipe below

Two 27-ounce jars prepared mincemeat

1 McIntosh apple, peeled, cored, seeded and grated

1 tablespoon brandy

Grated zest of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the pâte brisée into a 12-inch circle. Fit pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mincemeat filling, grated apple, brandy and lemon zest. Spoon filling into the chilled piecrust.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pâte brisée to a 12-inch circle. Cover filling, trim evenly along edge and press to seal edges. Cut small slits in pastry with the tip of a paring knife, about 3/4-inch apart. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the crust is golden brown and the center bubble, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Pâte brisée (pie dough)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Chill time:1 hour

Makes a double crust pie crust for one pie

Lue Gonsales of Modesto lost her mincemeat pie recipe using prepared mincemeat. We feature a Martha Stewart recipe in today's Mailbox for mincemeat pie filling. This is Stewart's recipe for pie dough. Stewart says: "Pâte brisée is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster."

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

INSTRUCTIONS

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together; if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Per 1/8th of crust only: 348 cal.; 4 g pro.; 30 g carb.; 23 g fat (15 sat., 6 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 61 mg chol.; 295 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 60 percent calories from fat.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.