Platz

I have very fond memories of my mom baking preparing for guests on a Sunday and weekday lunches. She would often make platz and I loved it, still do.  I got this recipe for platz from my friend Carolyn many years ago and it has been in her family for generations. I know we have lots and lots of good platz recipes on our blog, but why not one more. Each recipe is slightly different and I have my favorite go to's with this one being one of them. The other go to platz recipe I like to make with my homemade frozen apple pie filling is this recipe. I just realized that I have never posted the recipe for homemade pie filling, which I will have to do this fall. This recipe has a softer base unlike the other recipe which has a short crust type base.
Rhubarb is growing like crazy now in our yard and I am sure I have been requested to make this platz about 3 times in the last few weeks. Give it a try, I am sure you will like it too.

Base:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
•  1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cups milk

Streusel:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan with 2" sides.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. 
3. Add the softened butter (I put my butter into the microwave for 20-30 seconds until it begins to melt).
4. Combine the milk and beaten egg and add it to the flour mixture. Stir with a spatula until well combined. I do the final mixing with my hands. 
5. Press into the pan. 
6. Top with 2 cups of fruit or until the base is covered to make one layer of fruit, depending on what fruit you are using, This picture features two cups of chopped fresh Rhubarb.
7. For the streusel mixture, combine the sugar, flour and baking powder and mix in the softened butter. (Again I microwave mine for a few seconds). Make crumbs by squeezing the mixture in your hands and drop onto fruit.
8.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes and your crumbs begin to get a light brown. Do not over bake because the base gets dry. If you like your crumbs to be darker than this, then put on the broiler for a short while but keep a very close eye on them. 

Raspberry Ripple Pie

Raspberry ripple pie is one of our all-time favorite summer desserts. This recipe was clipped from a farm publication decades ago, at a time when we were growing commercial raspberries.  I make several at a time at the beginning of the summer...a ready dessert in the freezer. The better the ice-cream, the more special the dessert!

• Ice-cream - 2 litres (quarts) premium vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Crust:

• 1 ¼ cups Oreo cookie crumbs
• ¼ cup butter, melted

1. Combine crumbs with melted butter. 
2. Press firmly into the base of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan.

Filling:

• 1 ½ cups crushed raspberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine raspberries, sugar and three tablespoons of water.
2. Blend cornstarch with 1 ½ tablespoon water until smooth; stir into berry mixture.
3. Cook until mixture thickens and boils (I do this in the microwave, stirring regularly).
4. Add lemon juice.
5. Allow to cool.

Method:

1. Spoon about 1/3 of the ice-cream over the crumb crust…pressing down somewhat.
2. Then spoon about half the berry sauce over the ice-cream.
3. Repeat…ending with ice-cream on top.
4. Carefully spread ice-cream over the filling with spatula or knife.
5. Cover and freeze until hard.
6. Allow to soften for about 15 minutes before serving.
7. Cut in wedges and serve with whipped cream and berry sauce (below) and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Berry Sauce:

1. Puree about 2 cups of raspberries in blender…add a little sugar.
2. Stir in whole berries just before serving.

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate cake from scratch. A simple recipe that turns out perfect every time. Another recipe from the files of my sister Rhoda. It's similar to a recipe we have from our mom's collection. Mom's had butter in the recipe instead of the oil used in this one.

Tips: When greasing a glass 9x13 pan for a cake only butter the bottom of the pan with butter (not cooking spray). The cake rises more evenly if the sides are not greased. You might think it will stick to the sides, but I don't ever find that it does. Another tip is to dust a little cocoa powder over the buttered pan. If you are baking a white or yellow cake use a thin dusting of flour. This dry dusting also helps cakes to not stick to the pan.
This cake freezes well plain or frosted. 

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup hot coffee OR instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup hot water

1. Beat together eggs and oil.
2. Stir together all the dry ingredients and then mix into the eggs and oil. Beat until all dry ingredients are well mixed in.
3. Add milk and mix in.
4. Lastly add in the hot coffee and mix.
5. Pour batter into a grease 9x13 pan and bake in 350ºF oven for approximately 35-45 minutes.

Cream cheese Frosting:

•  1 8ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and beat.
2. Add in the powdered sugar and beat well until the frosting is fluffy and smooth. 
3. Frost cake. Keep cake in refrigerator once frosted. 

BBQ Flank Steak Marinade

• 1/2 cup sherry (cooking sherry is fine)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2-3 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Montreal steak spice
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. In a glass jar shake together all ingredients.
2. Put 1 or 2 flank steaks in a large zip lock bag and pour marinade into bag. Seal and marinate in fridge 6-12 hours.
3. BBQ until done to your likeness. Some like it rare and others like it well done. Bast as it BBQ's with the marinade.

MENU IDEA

Tonight I will serve this with . .

SMASH POTATOES (see recipe on this blog)

Layered green salad

Fruit salad

Rustic bread

Fresh Strawberry Pie

It's Canada Day tomorrow and we are celebrating tonight with family. What a privilege we have to live in this great country. God has blessed us with much. Lets not forget to thank Him tomorrow.

Raspberry Crunch Bars

I made Raspberry Jam recently and the taste brought back a memory 

of these bars that my mom used to make.  

I've lost her recipe over the years and went hunting to find something similar.

I found a jam bar recipe in an old school cookbook from the 1970's and doctored it up 

to match my mom's delicious Raspberry Crunch Bars.

I tested them out on the guys at our office and they all gave it a huge thumbs up.

They loved the fresh raspberry taste and the crunchy topping.

Base:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk

Topping:

• 1 cup Raspberry Jam or Jelly  (approximate amount)
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup crushed cornflakes

1. Prepare base: cut cold butter into flour, baking powder and salt.  
2. Mix egg and milk and vanilla and add to flour mixture, mixing lightly like you would for pie dough.
3. Roll or pat into an 8 inch square pan.
4. Spread raspberry jam over base.
5. Beat sugar, egg and vanilla with melted butter.
6. Add coconut and crushed cornflakes mix with a fork.
7. Spread lightly with a fork over jam.
8. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden.
9. Cool and cut into squares.

Tortilla Roll Ups

I got the recipe for these appies from a friend, I tweeked the recipe a little and Ellen took the above photo of the plateful I brought to our MGCC Christmas party.

You could use any tortilla shells, I make mine from scratch - gluten-free.
The advantage of making them from scratch is that I can roll out the tortilla shells in a rectangle shape, rather than the traditional round, so that they roll up better into an even roll.
As soon as I have cooked my tortilla shell I roll it up while it is still warm - treating it like a jelly-roll, unrolling to spread the filling, then re-rolling.  You could also  put the cold tortilla shell into the microwave for a few seconds to soften it for rolling with the filling.

Recipe for the filling ...  and you don't have to be too 'accurate' with the ingredients... the old Mennonite grandmother's saying works here,  "just so it looks/tastes right" !!

• 3/4 cup chopped fine cooked chicken breast
• 1/3 cup fried and crumbled bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/3 cup Ranch dressing
• 1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature) 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• salt and pepper (optional) 
• tortilla shells

1. Mix together chicken, bacon, green onions and shredded cheese - set aside 

2. Mix the Ranch dressing into the cream cheese until well blended. 

3. Stir the chicken mixture into the dressing mixture and stir well.  If it looks a little too dry just add 

    a little more Ranch dressing or a little whipping cream or milk. 

4. Spread filling  over a tortilla shell and roll up, slicing into 1 inch rolls. 

**  Since this posted this morning, I have been asked to include my recipe for the tortillas ...
It is as follows ....

Gluten-free Tortillas

• 1 1/3 cup milk 
• 1 tablespoon oil 
• 1 3/4 cups tapioca flour/starch
• 3/4 cup Julie's flour
• 1/4 cup white bean flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• sweet rice flour (for handling dough) 

**NOTE - you can adjust the two flours - Julie's flour and the white bean) -  as you wish - if you have a favorite GF mix that you use , try that.  Leave out the xanthan gum if your mix has it included. 

1. Pour milk and oil into bowl of mixer
2. Blend dry ingredients well and add all at once to the liquid 
3. Mix on low until blended, then on high for 2 minutes - if it seems liquidy add a little more flour - but it will be much softer than a regular dough ..
4. Turn dough onto working surface dusted with sweet rice flour
5. Knead lightly until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (It will take less sweet rice flour than you expect) 
6. Form into a roll and cut  into 11 pieces. Cover with a piece of damp toweling (the tapioca flour dries the dough quickly) 
7. Roll each piece into circle (about 9 inch)  - I use a plate to cut around to keep the circles uniform) Add cut-off excess to next ball to be rolled. 
8. For easier handling fold each circle into half and then half again ... and unfold in skillet. 
9. Heat skillet with a small amount of oil ..  I use a piece of paper towelling dipped into oil to 'wipe' skillet ...  I also use a dry towelling piece to wipe out skillet after each torilla to make sure there is no flour remaining that will quickly  burn when I fry my next shell. 
10. Fry each tortilla until it begins to turn golden/then flip to fry other side .
11. Stack on a plate, cool - then store covered in fridge .  Will keep for several days. 

One Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken

What could be simpler than cooking the whole meal in one pan?  One parchment lined sheet pan (think easy clean-up!) serves up a delicious dinner of balsamic glazed chicken breasts along with roasted potatoes and green beans.

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups fresh green beans, ends snipped *
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
3. In small bowl, whisk olive oil, honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, garlic and seasoning.
4. Place chicken breasts in bowl; add half of the olive oil mixture and toss to coat. 
5. Layer potatoes on baking sheet; drizzle with remaining olive oil glaze. Place marinated chicken breasts on top.
6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, and add green beans, stirring to coat with glaze.  Cook for another 10 minutes, or until chicken breasts are cooked through (internal temperature 165 degrees) and potatoes are tender. 

*These beans are on the crispy side. If you prefer your beans more tender, blanch them for several minutes before adding them to the pan.

Serves 4.

Flashback Friday / Cottage Cheese Rolls

As part of Flashback Friday I have used this pastry recipe and baked up some savory appetizers instead of this sweet version. Anyway you make it, sweet or savory, this is a great recipe. Scroll all the way down to see what I have added. Baking directions remain the same. 

I have been making these tasty rolls for almost 30 years now. My cousin Anne has shared the recipe with many of us. It can served on a tray of dainties glazed with a thin layer of icing, or with out the glaze and serve them alongside a bowl of soup and salad. Whether you choose to serve them sweet or savory, they are delicious! A very quick and easy to make recipe that is very popular among our circles and in our churches, but perhaps for some of you it is a new recipe. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen before you bake it guaranteeing  freshly baked warm rolls.



Dough

• 2 cups of unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups of creamed cottage cheese (1% works fine too)
• 1 cup butter or hard margarine
• pinch of salt optional

1. With a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour and salt if using.
2. Add the cottage cheese and knead into a ball of dough just comes together like you would for biscuits.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
4. Chill the dough for a few hours as this dough is very soft and sticky if you don't
5. Roll each ball into a 10-12" circle. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
6. Starting at the wide end roll towards the narrow.
7. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze.
8. Take them out of the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes (no need to thaw them first). When they get golden brown flecks they are done. So watch your oven carefully. Each oven bakes slightly different hence the time difference.
9. Serve them plain or glazed.

Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons milk 

1. Mix these ingredients together and lightly brush over warm rolls.

Try making the dough and roll little sausages in the pastry for a tasty treat. 

Or how about using the pastry for making some Turnovers with your choice of filling. These are Tuna turnovers.....very tasty. 

Check out Julie's Gluten Free version here.

Potato Leek Gratin

This is a creamy tasty side dish to serve with a protein of your choice. Everyone in the family enjoyed it.

Potato Leek Gratin

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and more for greasing the dish
• 1-1/2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced uniformly thin.
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 2 large leeks, washed, green tops trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup cheese, grated (swiss or gruyere)

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Butter a 2 quart round dish. 
3. Toss the potatoes with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. 
4. Layer the sliced potatoes in the dish.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 
6. Add leeks, garlic, remaining salt and pepper, thyme and rosemary. 
7. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender and golden, 5-7 minutes. 
8. Add cream, scrapping up browned bits of leeks from the bottom of the pan. 
9. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. 
10. Remove thyme and rosemary sprigs and discard.
11. Pour the cream mixture over potatoes and top with the cheese. 
12. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden, 10-15 minutes longer. 
13. Let cool slightly before serving.
14. Serves 6-8 people as a side dish.

Strawberry Trifle

This Strawberry Trifle recipe was copied from my mom and I think she got it from the Los Angeles Times years ago.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) Vanilla pudding mix (not instant)
• 1/4 cup rum, optional
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 - 12 ounce bakery angel food cake
• 2 tablespoons brandy, optional
• 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 6 whole fresh strawberries for garnish

Method:

1. Prepare vanilla pudding mix according to package instructions. 
2. Cool slightly and stir in 2 tablespoons of the rum. 
3. Cover and chill until almost set. 
4. Whip 1 cup of the heavy cream until stiff and fold into chilled pudding mixture.
5. In a serving bowl of 2 qt. capacity gently tear about half of the cake into bite size pieces and place in an even layer in bottom of serving bowl.
6. Stir together the brandy and remaining rum and sprinkle half over the cake. 
7. Spoon in about half the pudding mixture over the cake. 
8. Spoon in half the strawberries over the pudding.
9. Tear remaining cake as before, arranging in an even layer over pudding.
10. Sprinkle with remaining brandy/rum mixture. 
11. Add the remaining sliced strawberries.
12. Carefully spoon in the remaining pudding.
13. Cover and chill.

Just before serving whip remaining cream with the two tablespoons sugar until stiff.
Place in pastry bag with fluted tip and pipe cream onto pudding in attractive mounds.
Top with reserved whole berries.

I’ve made this for a crowd in a punch bowl doubling the recipe and making more layers.You could add raspberries, too. You can omit the alcohol