LOCAL FLAVOUR: Queen's Diamond Jubilee a chance to honour 'something that stays the same'

Laura Stagg with some of her Royal tin boxes.

MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER

Laura Stagg has been alive for less than half of Elizabeth Windsor’s reign as Queen of the Commonwealth. But don’t tell her the monarchy has become stale and tired.

Stagg, who works part-time as the office manager at the New Westminster Museum and Archives, and as a registrar at Burnaby Village Museum, says she’s always loved the Royals, especially the Queen.

“She’s always been this steadfast figure,” says Stagg, 24. “So much has happened but she’s still the same.”

Which is just the way she likes it, she says. “With how fast our world moves, it’s nice to have something that stays the same. It keeps us in check.”

Stagg collects Royal-themed biscuit, tea, bouillon and chocolate tins. She’s been acquiring them since she inherited a blue tea tin commemorating the marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson from her grandmother Wilma. She has about 10 tins in her modest collection, most found while rooting through antique shops, and from friends on their travels. She’s put word out to them she’d like a tin celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Elizabeth became Queen on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died after a long illness.

Through her reign, Elizabeth has endured personal tragedy, the occasional scandal and persistent questions about her relevance in a modern world.

But Stagg will hear none of it.

“We can go forward, but if there’s not something or someone to remind us of the past, we might forget it.”

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp vanilla

3 tbsp milk

Reese peanut butter cups, chopped into 9 pieces, or Reese’s Minis

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large bowl, cream shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg until incorporated. Mix in vanilla and milk

until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly.

4. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and incorporating one

peanut butter cup piece into each ball.

5. Place balls onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Try

not to over bake the cookies: they’ll get too crunchy. Let sit on sheet 2-3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.