Welcome to Eureka, South Dakota

Population: 868

Eureka, South Dakota Website: http://www.eurekasd.com/

Eureka was laid out in 1887, and named “Eureka”, a Greek exclamation meaning “I have found it!”

 

About Eureka, South Dakota

Eureka is located in north central South Dakota, and has a population of 868.

Eureka has a beautiful lake and park area which are used for recreation, fishing, swimming, camping, and boating.

Eureka has numerous sporting opportunities including a 9-hole golf course, softball and baseball fields, a tennis court, a basketball court, a football field, and an all weather track complex that is open to the public for exercising purposes.

Eureka has many hunting opportunities and has a shooting range just outside of town

Eureka is the birthplace of Al Neuharth, the founder of U.S.A. Today.

Eureka’s population consists mostly of German-Russian descent.

Unique To Eureka

Kuchen

Kuchen is a tasty dessert with a dough crust and custard filling. Usually fruit is found in kuchen, but cheese or sugar can be used instead. It is normally topped with cinnamon.

Recipes

Thin Crust—Thick Custard Kuchen* 1 roll sweet roll dough—Thaw and spread in pan. Use jelly roll pan for thinner crust, a 10×14 pan for thicker crust. (Dough and custard may be divided into 2 portions and deep-dish pie plates used if round kuchen are desired.) Spread up sides of pan. Let rise.

Custard
2 cups cream
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tblsp. corn starch
1 tblsp. vanilla

Mix together in microwaveable bowl. Microwave 5-8 minutes until thick, stirring as it begins to thicken.
Add favorite fruit filling on crust (canned cherry or blueberry pie filling, prunes, peaches, raisins, etc.)
Pour custard on top of fruit and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add chopped nuts, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*Submitted by Wanda Jundt. This is very good, very easy, and is a modern version of kuchen, bypassing some time-consuming steps. 

Minnie Keim’s Kuchen*
2 cakes yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3 eggs
2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Scald milk. As it cools, add shortening. When cool, stir in eggs and salt. Add flour and mix well. Add water with yeast and sugar. Mix to an elastic dough, adding as much flour as necessary (3 cups won’t hurt) to make it soft and pliable. Set in warm place for 45 minutes. Make filling.

Filling: You may use any kind of fruit, remembering to add plenty of sugar if fruit is uncooked. A wonderful tangy blend is 3/4 scalded rhubarb and 1/4 raisins. Or you may use prunes, cooked and pitted. Another excellent combination is 3/4 cup cottage cheese blended with 4 tblsp. sweet sour cream, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup sugar. One favorite is made of even parts of butter, sugar, and peanut butter with 2 parts of flour.

Knead dough after 45 minutes and put in back in warm place for 30 minutes. Knead again, place on well-floured board and roll to thickness of about 1/4 inch (not thin). Line well-greased cake tins, bringing dough about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the tins. Brush with melted shortening and place in warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until pastry is raised.

Topping: Whatever filling you use, the topping must consist of one egg and an equal amount of sour cream, stirred well together. Pour this gently over the filling. Powder liberally with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

*Reprinted from the Germans from Russia cookbook available for sale from the Eureka Pioneer Museum. 

German Kuchen*
2 cups warm sweet milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 package yeast
Flour to make a soft dough
Mix and let raise as for any soft sweet dough. This makes about 8 kuchen.

Cream Filling:
2 cups sweet or sour cream
1 1/2 tblsp. flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Heat cream. Beat eggs and add sugar and flour. Mix into cream and cook until thick. Spread on kuchen dough with fruit if desired. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake.

*Submitted by Mrs. Henry Lindemann and reprinted from the Germans from Russia cookbook available for sale from the Eureka Pioneer Museum.