Mom's Fruit Flan (German Erdbeer/Obst Boden Torte)

The dough is a little like a sugar cookie dough and doesn't get soggy with the fruit. Fill with fresh strawberries or your favorite fruit (my personal favorite is an assortment of sliced peaches, cherries, kiwis, and fresh strawberries arranged over a thin layer of custard topped with a clear jelly glaze, served with a dollop of whipped cream). Mom's favorite was simply fresh sliced strawberries with strawberry glaze, and whipped cream on the side. Delicious!! A great seasonal dessert. You will need a 10 or 11 inch boden torte pan for this recipe. The boden recipe is adapted from "Mennonite Girls Can Cook", the filling is all mine.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 Boden Torte

Ingredients

• Base (Boden)

• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 1  tablespoon vanilla (vanilla sugar is nice, use one pkg, by Dr. Oetker)
• 1  egg
• 1  cup flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 cup milk

• Filling and Glaze

•  optional 2/3 cup  prepared custard (or prepared vanilla pudding or pastry cream)
• 2 -3  cups  fresh fruit such as strawberries (or a fruit assortment such as peaches or apricots, cherries, kiwis, and strawberries)
• 1⁄2 cup  fruit jam mixed with a little water, to glaze (red currant, strawberry, apple jelly or apricot jam)
•  fresh  whipped cream, to serve

Directions

1. To Make Base (Boden):
2. Thoroughly grease a 10 to 11 inch (25 to 28 cm) boden tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar til white and creamy; add egg and beat til mixed in thoroughly.
4. Sift together flour and baking powder and fold into the butter mixture, adding milk til it holds together in a ball.
5. Press dough into a well greased boden torte pan (wet your hands with a little water to keep the dough from sticking to your hands).
6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.
7. Remove from oven. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert on a cake plate or other large plate.
8. Filling:
9. If desired, spread a thin layer of custard (or vanilla pudding or pastry cream) evenly over the cooled boden.
10. Fill with a variety of fruit and whipped cream. Use any variety you like or simply canned peach slices or fresh strawberries.
11. Glaze:
12. For a simple glaze, melt a little apple jelly or strawberry jam and pour over the fruit.
13. -Or- take 1/2 cup of the fruit syrup. Cook it over high heat with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water, cook it until it is clear, and the raw cornstarch flavor disappears (approximately 2 minutes). Drizzle evenly over the fruit.
14. Chill until ready to serve. This cake is best served within 24 hours.
15. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and you have a lovely little dessert. Quick and easy.