Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Obstkuchen (Platz)

I have made this platz many times and it's a favorite here. It is also a nice size to bring to potlucks. My g'daughter came to see me today and I thought it was time she learned to make platz. She claims she doesn't like to cook or bake but as you can see she did a great job!
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 egg
  1. Sift dry ingredients together and with a pastry blender mix in the butter. Add the cream and slightly beaten egg and mix well.
  2. Pat out on a greased 10 x 15 inch pan. (approx) Wet hands to do this as the dough may be a bit sticky.
  3. Put on a layer of any of the following fruits: cherries, plums, apples, apricots, rhubarb, blueberries or any fruit in season..frozen fruit works too. My g'daughter used rhubarb.
Top with crumbs:
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, very soft
  1. Mix well with a pastry blender..it will be crumbly. If you want coarser crumbs just mix in a bit of cream. Sprinkle thickly over the fruit.
  2. Bake in at 375ยบ for 30 minutes.
  3. Cool 10 minutes and drizzle icing over the top. (optional)
  4. It is also very good served warm with ice cream.

32 comments:

  1. Oh my! that seems so easy that I could whip that up in no time, for something quick! Thanks!

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  2. platz is just one of those comfort foods for us mennonites.
    rarely a sunday afternoon fasba (coffee time) would be served with our it....this so looks good and i think i will make a platz just for fun.
    do you freeze yours betty, and do your crumbs stay crispy if you do?
    i don't freeze my platz for that reason, maybe i am doing something wrong.....
    tips on that subject from anyone out there would be good. my mom says it should not be left covered while defrosting because it makes the crums soggy, but mine are soggy none the less.

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    1. Freeze platz unbaked, and then when you've got the platz craving take it out of the freezer and bake it without thawing it first. It is the perfect dessert to prepare ahead of time and freeze.

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  3. Awww, you had me at baking with your granddaughter. . .I can't wait. . I sure do hope she'll love to bake.
    Your obstkuchen. . looks tender and delicious. Is that a low german word or is platz the low german word. ..I never know the difference. I am thinking now that platz is the low german.

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  4. I'd just like to say dat dis wabsite warms my vary heart - daut es zau gout daut dey mennonitisha meyales con da gouta aten maochen!
    you can find my endorsement of your web site on my newest vidyo

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  5. Oh Yum!!! This looks really good.

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  6. Looks like your granddaughter is a natural, Betty! Delicious!w

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  7. No Char I never freeze platz..I think it would become soggy.
    Lovella..platz and obstkuchen both are high german I think..we spoke low german at home and always pronounced it 'plautz'. And cooking with my g'daughter is lots of fun!!

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  8. I have this exact platz (unbaked - with apricots) in my freezer right now to bake when I need it.
    I spread it onto a 9X13 pan and used half the recipe for the crumbs, including some cream. It's quite new to me - introduced by my daughter-in-law. Very good!!!!

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  9. Platz season is here...and I love it! I often prepare two pans...bake one and slip the second one into the freezer ready to bake.

    Baking with your granddaughter sounds like a good time!

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  10. This sounds so good. I will make this too, as well as your bagels. I need more time! I love it that you spend time with your granddaughter and teach her how to cook. When I was a wee girl, my grandmother got me started cooking as well. It was a real bonding time for us, plus I learned a skill that has brought me and those I love great happiness. Bless you for being that kind of grandmother, too!

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  11. I'm not sure if there was a Saturday that would go by with out Platz. Or sometimes it was baked on Sunday morning early while the cows were being milked.

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  12. This looks so good Betty and your recipes always always turn out terrific! Yum....

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  13. I'm with you Char - I never freeze it because it gets soggy. However freezing it unbaked is something I'll have to try. My dear MIL always added a tbsp. of cream to the crumbs which makes them stay crunchy for longer. I find that covering the baked platz with anything but a piece of waxed paper, makes it go soggy overnight.

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  14. Platz and Mennonites...they just go together. I have never put an unbaked platz in the freezer. I must try that. I agree that cream in the crumbs keeps them crispy. You have me planning to make this soon. Maybe for the girls at work. Kathy

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  15. I had a great time making these...but shh...don't tell anyone, wouldn't wanna ruin my reputation none ;)

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  16. Interesting, I have not seen that for at least 35 years. I grew up a Mennonite in Oregon.

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  17. My mother Jutta would make this for us all the time..my favorite is just the ruebel. I used to get in trouble for eating them off the cakes.
    Lately my Mamma has been using--gulp dare i say it--canned apple or cherry pie filling...
    either way it is most delious!

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  18. I've never heard of this before, but it looks so great. Glad I found your blog.

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  19. Betty,I recognized this recipe ,as you gave it to me,or told me about it manyyyyyy moons ago..LOL.Always our favorite one.But you must of changed it a bit as I have 1 cup sugar and 1 cup flour for the top.But never the less it's a very good one!!!!

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  20. I thought you would get a good laugh out of this video my dil did for an event at work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1x04UimkMs
    I find this is one of my favorite desserts since I married into a Mennonite family over 50 years ago. I love your blog and check it just about every day. June

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  21. Thank you again for another lovely recipe. Just one question--how many cups of fruit (approx) do you use...I used about 3 1/2--does that sound right?

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  22. Barbara..I just baked this platz again last week and measured the rhubarb. I used 4 cups..3 1/2 cups would be fine too.

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  23. This recipe looks delish! I have some fresh black berries on hand, do you think they would work?

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  24. This recipe looks delish and I would like to make it for my family. I have some fresh black berries on hand, do you think they would work? Thank you!

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  25. Yes DJ fresh blackberries sound wonderful for this platz. I use whatever fruit is in season. I prefer fresh fruit but frozen can be used as well.

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  26. I came across your site about a year ago and saw a picture of these decadent sticky buns, they were covered in a caramel or butterscotch sauce and I bookmarked the page but since then I reformated my pc and have lost the recipe. I can't seem to find it on your site anymore. Can anyone help me?

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  27. I came across this site by 'accident' looking for a 'bubbat' recipe. We're celebrating a late Christmas due to the married kids schedules and I decided to really do the Mennonite thing from when I was growing up in Steinbach MB. So I feel blessed to find this site - not just for the recipes, but also noticing the strong faith that you all seem to have as well. Thank you!

    Bev Hertz

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  28. Sorry, this comes from a Genuine German. I use 300g flour [2 1/2 c], 200g butter [1c or 1/2 lb], 125g sugar [1/2 to 2/3], vanilla or cinnamon optional, and work it with my hands until crumbs form (to "pick off". This makes twice as much as needed for the 9X13 so I freeze the rest for next time. I made several for our Oktoberfest, even on prune plums and froze and it wasn't soggy.

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  29. My Grandma always had Plautz hanging around. Apricot was my favorite. Funny enough, she would store it in the games cupboard with a tea towel on top....and there was always a knife in the pan. I think I'll go make some!

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  30. ummm, ya..that's not EVEN anything nearly like an Obstkucken..no idea what it is but not obstkuchen. The word platz means place..nothing at all to do with any cooking or baking..might want to take German lessons and a cooking class.. I was born and raised in Germany..get a clue.

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    1. "Yes, platz means place .... that's where the Obst platz got its name -- "a place to put fruit' ...(the name then easily shortened to just 'platz'.) Recipes, especially old family ones, often become family favorites with a unique family twist in the recipe. You are welcome to share how Obstkuchen were/are made in your family."

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