For Moni Grushkin, strawberry rhubarb kuchen carries memories of Gygax Farms in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where she, her nana, and the family filled baskets with strawberries—sampling a few along the way.
Back at Nana’s Milwaukee home, built by Moni’s grandfather near the Wauwatosa border, those berries became homemade jam. Rhubarb from the family garden completed Nana’s beloved kuchen.
Born in Switzerland, Nana brought recipes that nourished both body and family. Her sister, Aunt Cal, lived nearby, and the two often baked and visited together. These were ordinary afternoons—hands dusted with flour, bowls filled with fruit and conversations shared across the kitchen table—but they became some of Moni’s most treasured memories.
Today, the sisters’ warmth and personality live on in Aunt Cal’s handwritten recipe card. Its faded ink, practical reminders, and cheerful notes make it feel almost as though they are still nearby, guiding the next generation from the kitchen.
One family rule was passed down by word of mouth: Never double the recipe. If you need two kuchen, prepare two separate batches.
Strawberry Rhubarb Kuchen
Kuchen Crust
Also called cookie dough
Ingredients
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¼ cup butter
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¼ cup sugar
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1 egg yolk, beaten
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1 cup flour
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¼ teaspoon baking powder
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Pinch of salt
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk, then mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms.
Chill the rich dough for easier handling. Press evenly into the bottom and approximately 1 inch up the sides of an 8-by-11-inch baking pan to hold the fruit and custard.
Fruit Filling
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1½ cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
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Fresh strawberries, sliced
Arrange the fruit gently over the crust, taking care not to make holes in the dough.
Custard
Ingredients
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1 cup sugar
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1 tablespoon flour
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3 egg yolks
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 level teaspoon cinnamon
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1½ cups whipping cream or rich whole milk, unwhipped
Directions
Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Drizzle evenly over the rhubarb and strawberries.
Bake
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until a knife or cake tester inserted into the custard comes out clean.
Aunt Cal’s Kitchen Note
“If the rhubarb is quite red rather than green, you can use a little less sugar. OK? OK!!”
Whenever Moni prepares this treasured dessert, she remembers fresh-picked strawberries, backyard rhubarb, and time in Nana’s kitchen—a reminder that family recipes preserve more than flavor. They keep the people we love close to the table.