Sarah Klassen's novel The Wittenbergs is a story which, among other things, is about legacy and what we pass along through generations. Here, with that in mind, and celebrating Family History Month, is Sarah Klassen's family recipe for platz, a traditional Mennonite coffee cake, often made with plums.
Pflaumen Platz
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup margarine
- 2 tsp baking powder
- salt
- vanilla
Mix the above ingredients. Texture should be somewhat crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for the streusel topping.
To this mixture add:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
And blend well. Spread the batter onto a greased 11"x16" or a 9"x16" pan.
Cut plums into quarters or halves depending on their size and variety. Prune plums are tradionally used, but other varieties of plum also work well. (Remember to discard pits.) Lay the plumbs on top of batter, cut side up.
To the cup of reserved crumbs add:
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tblsp butter.
Spread the streusel crumbs evenly over fruit and batter. Bake @ 375 Degrees for about 30 minutes.
(Apricots can be substituted.)
Turnstone Press Ltd.
