Stacey Snacks

Stacey Snacks

Have Plums, Will Platz!

The black plums were on special today and so it was easy to see what I would be making. Plum Platz, not the cakey recipe but the crispy, chewy pastry crust, topped with plums and crumble topping. This recipe was given to me by my daughter via a friend who remembered Mennonite style baking treats. It's an easy to prepare dessert. We served it warm with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt. You know you want some and being as it is made on a large cookie sheet, I could have shared...
Plum Platz

Crust:

2 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cold water

Mix crust ingredients as you would for a pie crust
(Adding water after butter has been cut in with a pastry blender)
After adding water stir until it becomes dough. (never handle with your hands, JUST LIKE A PIE PASTRY.)
Pat into a well greased (I also use parchment paper) cookie sheet.15" X 10"
* i take this recipe and and increase by 1 1/2 and use a 17" X 11" cookie sheet*

2 pints of prune plums washed , halved and pitted.
Laid inside up.

Topping:

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cold butter
Blend with a pastry blender until it's a fine crumbly texture.Sprinkle over plums and bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes:
If you use frozen fruit increase flour for topping to 1 cup and if you use peaches increase to 1 1/2 cups.
You can use almost any fruit you like. Tart Cherries, apples (add a bit of cinnamon for apples)or nectarines for example.
- I recommend sour cherries, apricots or plums for the
filling. Apples would also work well. Try any fruit
you like! Apparently the South American Mennonites use
bananas or other tropical fruit.

My 2 Cents: Glorious Day (Living He loved me) ~Casting Crowns

My 2 Cents: Glorious Day (Living He loved me) ~Casting Crowns

Pumpkin Spice Granola ola!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I'm not going to talk weather today!
Suffice to say, it is still wintery. 'Nuf said...Anything goes with granola, you add your favorites, leave out what you want, but the coming together of toasted oatmeal and all the spices make this delightful! The pumpkin flavor is not overpowering, it might have taken the place of applesauce and honey for moistening. I enjoy this recipe and I think you will too. My mom, who is a basic granola fan, was very enthused upon trying this. This would be ideal in a ziplock bag when you or family go for a hike or need a snack on any outing.
I use my Pumpkin Spice Mix that I keep for muffins and pie. The recipe follows:
Makes 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Blend ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

 The Granola

Makes about 5 cups (large batch for you and friends!: 15 cups)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (large batch: 2 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (large batch: 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil (large batch: 6 Tbsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (large batch: 3 Tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (large batch: 6 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom (large batch: 3 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (large batch: 3 tsp.)
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (large batch: 9 cups)
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans (large batch: 3 cups)
• 1 cup pistachios (optional; large batch: 3 cups)
• 1/2 c pepitas, flax seeds (optional; large batch 2 c)
• 1 cup golden raisins (large batch: 3 cups)
• 1 cup dried cranberries (optional; large batch: 3 cups)
• I added a little crystallized ginger because I wanted to! ;)

Directions

Total time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (3 pans for the large recipe); set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice mix , cardamom, and salt. Add oats, pecans, and pistachios, flax seed, pepitas  (if using), and toss to coat. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in raisins and cranberries (if using), and continue baking until oats are just crisp, about 15 minutes more. Stir one last time, then set aside to cool completely. When hard, break into chunks and store in an airtight container(s). Freezes well.

I love this served with Greek yogurt. If you have any left by summer ( you may have to make more!) imagine it with fresh raspberries and the yogurt. Smacks of desert!

Big Cookie Dreamin'

My Big Anzac Cookie

March is here, snow is melting, forecasting more this week! Yikes, I need cookies to calm down. My confession for today: I can't help myself, big cookies are my dream. Some like having 2 or 3 little cookies to nibble on. Dainty, tasty, tea time sweets. Not me. I want a huge, honkin' 5 inch cookie that's all mine, no sharing. I have several recipes that I make but perhaps my favorites are the Anzac, the Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip with Peanut Butter Cups chopped in and the Sugar Cookie with hard icing. Oh, and maybe the Oatmeal Raisin.

Anzac
New Zealand cooking: 1T=4t
1 c flour
1 c rolled oats
1 c unsweetened coconut
3/4 c brown sugar
2T golden syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 t b soda
1/2 c butter, chopped

melt butter and syrup, remove
in large bowl mix flour, oats, sugar
combine soda and 2 T water in a bowl
stir into butter, might be frothy, add to flour mixture and stir well
350 degrees, parchment covered cookie sheets, 15-18 minutes, 8 cookies use large scoop and flatten

 

Parchment paper 6 cookies per sheet, cool on sheet about 10 min before cooling on racks.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/4 c flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter
1 c peanut butter (I love crunchy)
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c milk choc chips
1/2 c peanut butter cups (6 full size, cut in 1/4)

mix dry
beat butter
add sugars
add egg
stir in milk and vanilla
add dry
add choc and peanut butter cups
350 degrees 16-18 min 12 cookies, use large scoop, flatten with sugar and fork marks
 

The Hip Subscription: Meat & Bread. Need we say more?

The Hip Subscription: Meat & Bread. Need we say more?: "If you're like us and like both meat and bread, especially together, then you must make your way to Meat & Bread in Gastown. The r..."

Beef Barley Soup and more

Beef Barley Soup

Will this snow day ever end? We are still experiencing much to much hail, sleet and freezing rain for my liking. I haven't seen a blade of grass in a week. I'm having to hand pick periwinkle leaves for my hens as they demand their healthy greens as well. So, soup has been on the menu this week. I have made Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Vita-Mix (if you don't have a Vita-Mix yet, this soup alone is worth the price tag!), Italian Sausage and Kale Soup (even better than Olive Garden) and Beef Barley Soup. My favorite is the Tortilla Soup. It comes together in under 10 minutes and tastes as though I had been slaving for hours in the kitchen. I just need a mariachi band playing in the background. Ole. Would you like the recipe? I'll post it today.

Snow Day February...need hot food!

I'm a little old for school but love the 'snow day' idea. However, as the snowdrops and crocus come into bloom I am less than enthusiastic about the white coating covering everything outside. The chickens are eyeballing the heavens with dislike as well. They hide under the bamboo and dash for the warm water bucket occasionally. It's bitterly cold outside as I dig for small clumps of grass to feed the girls.

I'm thankful I cooked up a big pot of spaghetti sauce last night. Not my usual sauce loaded with cumin and cinnamon but my brother-in-laws sauce with pork and beef cubed and simmered for 6 hours in tomatoes, spiced with oregano, garlic, onion and bay leaves. I tossed in chili flakes and basil with some fresh parsley. If I added beans it could be served over rice but I will likely serve with pasta and garlic bread. Oh wait, I have garlic naan so will use that. How international! Smells wonderful as I enter the house after being in the frigid cold yard. Actually, once inside again, I can appreciate how lovely falling snow really is.

Where Have I Been?

Well, it's been a while. I have continued baking and cooking and living, But alas, I have not been faithful to my blog. That is about to change! I am back. Committed! My exercise regime is on track, family is well looked after, so no more excuses.

Random note, are you watching Nikita? I love that woman. Are you watching the News, unsettling, troublesome News. Are you putting together food storage as the prices climb into the stratosphere? I have begun to stock some staples, I think it's time.
Do you recall that I have chickens? I lost my wonderful Golden Laced Wyandotte to a hungry coyote. I swear it was a timber wolf, even though the local forestry service said they are rare here. It was too big for a coyote and I was only several feet away from it. Sometimes the circle of life is depressing, especially when the chickens you have are really more like pets. Funny that my Black Australorp chicken turned out to be a rooster and I returned him to my supplier and traded for a sweet female. I receive, amid proud noise and honking, 3 eggs most days. I miss my hen turned rooster but the neighbors are so close they surely would have been annoyed. I love all the new by-laws allowing city chicks.