Getting Ready for Blueberry Season!

Last summer I got some of the best blueberries at the Brick (NJ) farmers’ market & I am looking forward to it again this year. In case you are not aware, New Jersey is one of the leading producers of blueberries in the US (NJ is not known as the “Garden State” for nothing!) and blueberries are the official state fruit. The season begins in late June and runs into July, sometimes even August depending on the weather.

So in anticipation of the coming season, earlier this week I baked a Sour Cream Blueberry Banana Walnut Bread. I had a large container of Costco blueberries (from Canada, eh) and would never eat all of them before they went bad so I dug through my many, many recipes and found this one. It’s from an old Williams-Sonoma baking book (it’s so old I may have bought it when I was a W-S store manager back in the 90s!). As the name implies, it’s definitely more bread-y than cake-y, and not very sweet (only contains 3/4 C sugar), but perfect as a breakfast item, smeared with a bit of good salted butter or cream cheese. The bananas and sour cream give this bread its moist texture. If you’re going to use it as more of a dessert, I would sprinkle some confectioners’ sugar on top to give it a bit more sweetness.

Keep this recipe on hand when blueberry season comes to your area, or pick up a box now and practice! June is only two months away!

Sour Cream Blueberry Banana Walnut Bread (The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book)

Makes one 9x5” loaf

Ingredients:

2 medium-ripe bananas

2 C AP (plain) flour

3/4 C sugar

1-1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 C chopped pecans (I used walnuts)

2 large eggs

1/2 C sour cream

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 C unsalted butter, melted

1 heaping C fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9x5” loaf pan with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.

Mash the bananas well with a fork or coarsely puree them in a food processor. Measure out 1 cup and set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, butter, and the 1 cup mashed banana pulp. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the banana mixture, and stir until just combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to break them up or mash them. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the bread until the top is firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Unmold the loaf onto the rack and let cool completely. Cut into thick slices to serve.

Blueberry Buckle!

It’s June and you know what that means (cue the song “June is Busting Out All Over!” - Google it)? Blueberries! Of course, you can get blueberries anywhere and almost anytime of year nowadays, but for big, fat, juicy, super-fresh, farmer’s market blueberries, you’ve got to wait for June. And to celebrate official blueberry season, I made this gorgeous Blueberry Buckle. 

Originally, this recipe from the ever-reliable folks at King Arthur Flour, was gluten-free (made with Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour), but my version was made with regular AP flour. Other than that, and the addition of a bit of nutmeg, the recipe remains the same. Adding some chopped pecans to the streusel wouldn’t hurt…

The cake bakes up so light and fluffy, with a fabulous streusel topping. I added a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar right before serving, because why not? It freezes very well, too, so if you’ve got the time (and the berries), make it now, cut into squares, wrap it well, and freeze. Then when a friend drops by for coffee, you can pull out a few squares and be ready in no time.

Happy Fresh Berry Season!

Blueberry Buckle (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/3 C sugar

1/2 C AP flour

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/8 t salt

4 TB butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F

Cake

2 C AP flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

3/4 C sugar

4 TB butter, softened

1 large egg, room temperature

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 C milk, room temperature

2 C fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8” square, 9” square, or 9” round pan; make sure your pan of choice is at least 2” deep.
2. To make the streusel topping: mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in small bowl. Work in the butter until the mixture becomes evenly crumbly. Set aside.
3. To make the cake: in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the sugar/butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Gently stir in the berries.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
7. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Serve right from the pan. Or to transfer to a serving plate, loosen the sides with a knife or spatula. Holding the pan in one hand, gently tip the cake out onto your other hand, remove the pan, and turn the cake topping-side up onto a serving dish. 
9. Store cake, covered, for a couple of days at room temperature; wrap securely and freeze for longer storage.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

We just returned from an incredibly inspiring trip to Tanzania, which I will write about soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this delicious, perfect summer dessert. 

You may know that I am a HUGE lover of all things coffee-cake-y and streusel-y. Throw in some plump, sweet blueberries and I’m a happy girl. Make this for your next gathering or just as a treat for yourself. It couldn’t be easier to throw together and it keeps well.

Happy Summer Baking!

Blueberry Crumb Cake (Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/4 C granulated sugar

1/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1-1/3 C all-purpose flour

Cake:

6 TB unsalted butter, room temp (3/4 stick)

3/4 C granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs, room temp

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 t grated lemon zest

2/3 C sour cream

1-1/4 C all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t kosher salt

1 C fresh blueberries

Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9” round baking pan.

Streusel:

Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

Cake:

Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on high speed for 4-5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, then add vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with Confectioners’ sugar.

Print here.

Nigella Lawson’s Blueberry Polenta Upside-down Cake

Nigella Lawson is one of my favorite cooks. Besides her down-to-earth, “everywoman” persona (as much as any millionaire celebrity chef can be), and her use of witty banter, she creates delicious recipes.

Over the weekend, I made her Blueberry Polenta Upside-down Cake. And if you’re looking for a terrific, easy, fruity dessert for the July 4th holiday festivities, or any summer get-together, you should too!

Look at these pictures -- every bite gives you a burst of sweet berries. I loved the citrus notes from the orange zest and juice, and especially loved the “sandy” texture provided by the polenta. The cake makes quite a spectacular presentation, thanks to inverting the cake so the beautiful blueberries come out on top!

Please leave a comment below to let me know how you like this cake.

Wishing you a happy July 4th holiday!

Print here!

The Jersey Shore Cookbook

Long about this time every year, I start to get this familiar restlessness. It never fails – late March/early April is when it strikes. It’s this feeling that I need to hop in the car, get on the Parkway, and head down the shore. It’s the draw of the ocean. It’s the feel of the boardwalk against my shoes. It’s the salt air. It’s the FOOD! But we’ve had a weird spring here in the Garden State, near 70 degrees in February and 30 degrees in April. The weather was not cooperating with my annual ritual.

Thank heavens for Deb Smith’s new book, The Jersey Shore Cookbook. Maybe I couldn’t physically get to the shore, but I could get there virtually! As I sat in my north Jersey living room, each page brought me another exit closer to our beloved Jersey Shore. This book is literally a road trip down the GSP (Garden State Parkway for you out-of-staters). Starting in Keyport and ending in Cape May Point, I transported myself to a day at the beach and all the good things that go with it.

Talking with the chefs and the farmers, the bakers and the fishermen, the restaurant owners and the dock masters, Deb has captured the essence of Jersey Shore cooking. From breakfasts to desserts and every course in between, the book is packed with delicious recipes direct from the people who live and breathe the shore every day.

 

Being a baker, I was particularly drawn to the page highlighting Mueller’s Bakery in Bay Head. Sad to say, I have never been to Mueller’s but its crumb cake is legendary. Since it usually sells out early in the day, I will probably never get it unless I overnight in Bay Head (hmmm, there’s a thought…). They are also famous for their blueberry scones, the recipe they shared with Deb.

Having a container of beautiful blueberries on hand, I whipped up a batch. Seeing that the recipe called for bread flour, I was concerned the scones might be heavy. But fear not, these are light as air. Calling for two cups of fruit, there was almost not enough batter to encase all of them. These are no wallflower scones, people; they are BIG! I have secretly named them “My Big Fat Blueberry Scones.” Don’t tell the people at Mueller’s!

Deb has weaved a lovely tribute to the Jersey Shore in this book. If you spend any time down the shore, you’re going to want this book. If you love to cook, you’ll want this book. If you grew up in New Jersey and have since relocated, get this book – it will instantly bring you back to those wonderful summer days where the only decisions you had to make were what bathing suit should I wear today, and what restaurant should we go to tonight.

I think spring has finally arrived in New Jersey. Today might be the perfect day for that road trip. I’m feeling hungry.

Recipe: Mueller's Blueberry Scones

The Jersey Shore Cookbook

Deborah Smith

Published by Quirk Books

RECIPEinaFLASH: Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins

From a terrific Wall Street Journal article on the myths and truths of olive oil (May 16-17 edition); these muffins are delish! Packed with #Jerseyfresh blueberries, the recipe uses almond flour, plain yogurt, and extra-virgin olive oil. You can throw them together very quickly (I made them this morning in about 20 minutes - of course, you have to remember to take the eggs out the night before) so you can have warm muffins with your Saturday or Sunday coffee.

The hubby is following a strict no-carb lifestyle so I've been searching for alternatives to regular white flour to satisfy his cravings and my need to bake! Using a recipe calorie counter, one muffin has only 116 calories (bonus!).

This recipe, and one other that I will post shortly, totally meet these criteria! Happy weekend, people!

Blueberry Snack Cake

I had planned to title this article “A Cake So Nice I Made it Twice!” Except that I made it three times!  I found this recipe on the fabulous Food52 while I was rooting around their site. The recipe was developed by Brooke Dojny, a cookbook author based in Maine.

There is so much to love about this cake! Let me count the ways...

1.      It’s easy

2.      Fresh blueberries (full of good-for-you antioxidants)

3.      Topped with crunchy pecans

4.      It’s easy

5.      Great for breakfast!

6.      Great for dessert!

7.      Great mid-afternoon snack!

8.      Love the addition of corn meal for the texture

9.      Keeps well (if you have any left over)

10.   Did I mention it was easy?!

But seriously, folks, if you have a pint of beautiful late summer blueberries at home, make this cake. If you don’t have any blueberries hanging around, get to the store or farmer’s market and buy some! It’s that good (I made it three times in two weeks)! You can thank me later.

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Recipe Flash: Blueberry Treat Bars

Packed with fresh blueberries and berry preserves, these little bars are a delicious treat! Toasted walnuts, oats, brown sugar, and magical cardamom,  make up the crust and topping. An absolute end-of-summer delight!  


This recipe is from Malika Ameen, who was on “Top Chef: Just Desserts." The original title was "Blueberry Oat Bars," but that sounded too healthy so I swapped in "treat" because that's exactly what these are!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 stick butter and 3 tablespoons

Walnuts 1 1/4 cup

All purpose flour 1 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons

Old fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 cups

Granulated sugar 1/2 cup

Packed Dark brown sugar 1/2 cup

Kosher salt 11/4 teaspoons

Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

Ground cardamom 3/4 teaspoon

Berry preserves 1 heaping cup

Blueberries 1 1/2 cups

Cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon

Sugar 2 tablespoons Lemon zest, chopped 1/2 teaspoon Lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking tray and line with parchment paper,  leaving an overhang on two sides. 2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool. 3. Spread the walnuts on another baking sheet and toast until lightly golden and fragrant,  about 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Roughly chop into medium sized chunks. 4. In a medium bowl combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, zest, and lemon juice. 5. In a large bowl combine nuts flour, oats sugars, salt, baking soda, and cardamom. Add in  melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. 6. Spread 3 cups of flour mixture in the pan and gently press down to form a packed layer.  Spread preserves over the crumb mixture. Now add the blueberry mixture and spread evenly.  Evenly sprinkle the remaining dough over the blueberries. 7. Bake for approximately 1 hour until top is golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

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