The Sweetness of the Season... Apple Tray Bake Recipe Exclusive From Stacey Snacks
“Be able to set a table so that you feel like you’re dining, not just sitting and eating.”
“She loved to put on a show and setting a table was her stage. She was never fussy though… the way she set the table was always eclectic and funky. It was her take on tea time, only she served black coffee and a fresh bread or cake she’d just baked.” I am lucky enough to have been invited over to Stacey Snacks house to sample her famous apple bake and immediately I am struck by the presentation. A Matouk fan after our own hearts, she’s dressed her long mahogany dining table with the brand’s Casual Couture banded placemats and Matouk Chamant napkins that she had custom monogrammed in honor of her grandmother. I compliment this setup, which prompts her to tell me about the woman who inspired this in her. “She was 97 years old when she passed but I don’t think she ever processed that she’d aged past 70,” Stacey tells me. “May we all be so lucky.”
“She went to the gym almost every day until she was in her late 80’s and she made all these younger friends, who she’d invite to her home for lunch or cake and when she’d tell me about it over the phone later, she’d always mention that she had ‘set a beautiful table’ and I could immediately conjure images of what that looked like.”
According to Stacey, a well-dressed table sets the meal up right, no matter the time of day. “If you’re taking the time to cook — that is to nourish your body and mind — I think there is a benefit to making that meal a full sensory experience.”
She could have served me this dessert on a paper plate and it would have melted me (seriously, it’s that good) but as I leave the House of Snacks on this crisp October afternoon, I realize that I am moving more slowly. I am taking it all in. My senses feel alive and my stomach is full. We’ve taken the time and we’ve appreciated the moment and for that, I am satiated and grateful. And I know that Grandma Snacks would be proud.
Apple Tray Bake
Nymphea Paradis Bleu by Royal Limoges. Available at A. HOME
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1 cup of regular flour (or 3/4 cup of rice flour to make it gluten free)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Wet Ingredients:
4 oz butter (8 tbsp, or one stick), at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup cultured buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt
3 eggs, separated
Topping:
2 large apples, sliced thin
2 tbsp melted butter
cinnamon sugar
Matouk’s Casual Couture Table Collection. Available at A. HOME
Step One
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step Two
In another bowl, mix the butter, eggs, sugar and buttermilk and combine with the dry ingredients to form a thick batter.
Step Three
Line a 9" x 13" baking tray or quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into the pan, smoothing the top.
Step Four
Decorate the top with the apple slices. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Step Five
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 40 minutes. Let cool. Slice. Taste divinity.
(L to R) Capdeco Flatware with faux marble handle (Dishwasher Safe), Matouk Chamant Napkins (available with custom monogram), Matouk Casual Couture Placemat, Royal Limoges Nymphea Paradise Bleu cake plate. Topped with a slice of Stacey’s heavenly Apple Tray Bake.
Quick Ship Matouk Monogram Service through A. HOME offers expedited delivery on a curated selection of our embroidered monograms. The same craftsmanship and quality you expect from us and Matouk, now delivered in half the time. The monogram styles shown here, applied to in-stock merchandise, will ship in two weeks.
Follow Stacey on Instagram @StaceySnacks or on her blog at staceysnacksonline.com.