I was reading about each state’s signature food and when I got to South Dakota, I found this dish (don’t blame me – I didn’t do the list). I decided to research it.  The Kuchen originally came from Germany, and there are region-specific recipes.  There is a debate whether this is a cake or a pie; I vote pie.  It is something different.  It has a cakey crust with a fruit and pudding topping.  This is my take on this dish.

Crust:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup Crisco

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Grind oats into a flour

Mix flour, oat flour and baking powder

Add crisco, egg, and cream and mix

Add sugar; bring to a ball

Place in 9”  pie pan up the sides

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes

Let cool for 30 minutes

Filling:

16 oz canned apricots

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon gingerbread spice

Drain apricots

Add brown sugar and spice

Set aside

Pastry cream:

1 cup cream

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Add all ingredients in cold bowl

Whip for 3 minutes

Place apricots and sugar mixture in crust in a single layer

Add custard mix

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 until custard sets

Serve with whipped cream