Loaded Macadamia Cookies

My baking adventures are usually fueled by what needs to be used. When you shop at Costco you arrive home with large quantities of individual items. This was great when I regularly fed 8 people. Now we are down to 2, you must pay attention to your food or it will wind up in the compost pile. I hope to never compost Macadamias! So I had a stash of Macadamias in the freezer. Perfect--great start. I also had white chocolate bars. My sweet daughter lives near Chicago. Aldi is a great store with the best chocolate. Dark, white or milk--all delicious. This chocolate is made in Germany. I love it. Amber kindly carries on a good supply of chocolate--thanks Amber, very much appreciated. The recipe called for dried cranberries. Again I had large bags of dried cherries and blueberries from Costco.

These ingredients combined with the addition of oatmeal and a little cinnamon resulted in one amazing cookie. White chocolate is sweet--dried cherries are tart together the are delicious. This could be my new favorite cookie! Thanks to Gold Medal Flour for an excellent recipe.

Loaded Macadamia Cookies
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (66 grams)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chunks--I purchase a bar of white baking chocolate and chop it
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit--I used the remains of a bag of Berries and Cherries. Yummy.
Mix butter and sugar till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanila, stir, Mix in flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir gently. Add white chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. Do not overmix. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Scoop dough on parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Printable Recipe

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

I was introduced to this recipe many years ago at a Pampered Chef Party--I think it was the reason I purchased my Food Chopper. I usually dice using my favorite chef's knife but sometimes The Chopper is the best tool for the job.
I made this Fruit Salsa for book club--it was a hit! I forgot how much I like it. It is fresh and delicious, I think your family will love it.

Fruit Salsa
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 pint strawberries, chopped
2 kiwi, peel and dice
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons jam or jelly
Mix fruit in a bowl. Combine zest, juice, sugar and jam. Gently combine mixtures. I used my Food Chopper for the apples and strawberries. I think I got carried away while chopping the berries, next time I will hold back a bit. I'm sure this recipe would work with different fruits. The apples give great texture. Whole raspberries or blueberries would be a great addition.

Cinnamon Chips
Flour tortillas (I like thin tortillas)
cinnamon sugar
Cut tortillas into strips or wedges, place on baking stone. Spray lightly with Pam or water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until crisp and lightly brown. Cool. A drizzle of chocolate is always a good thing.
Printable Recipe

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Do you purchase those big baskets of Blueberries at Costco? I do and I seem to forget just how much they contain! We had berries on our cereal, berries as snacks and we still had blueberries. This recipe proved to be a winner. It is just what a breakfast cake should be--moist, not to sweet, full of fruit and plenty of streusel topping.
You could top with ice cream and call this a dessert. But since it is full of healthy blueberries I'll probably enjoy it for breakfast. Tis the season for berries. I can't wait to make it again.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
5 tablespoons softened butter
2 cups flour
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coarse sugar

For the cake--Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter or Pam.
Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, add the egg and vanilla--mix until combined. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
For the topping--Combine the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt. Cut together using two knifes or a pastry cutter. Sprinkle topping on top of the batter. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake--no one likes dry cake!
Serve warm with a little softened butter. I personally like a dollop of  whipped cream on top.
Printable recipe
I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's Blog.

Fresh Fruit Salad

The phone rings--it's 4:30. Frantic daughter is on the other end. "Mom,I need to take a salad to a church pot luck--tonight. Years ago you made a fruit salad--I think it has fruit juice and is thickened with cornstarch. I have looked all over and can't find the recipe."
I know exactly the recipe she is talking about. It takes me a bit of digging but I find it. I realized I have not blogged about it. Over 500 recipes and some how I missed it. This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law Keri. It feeds a crowd, can be made any time of the year with most any fruit. And it is delicious!

Fresh Fruit Salad
Juice from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 orange or lime
Juice from a can of pineapple
Juice to equal about a cup.
2 tablespoon of cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
6-8 cups diced fruit--apples, oranges, pears, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, melon, bananas, pineapple, mandarin oranges, etc.
Mix fruit juices and cornstarch--heat to a boil. Stir until thickened. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Cool.
Pour cooled mixture over diced fruit, stir gently. Serve immediately.
What if I don't want a salad to feed 10?? Make sauce, store in the fridge, it will keep several days.. Dice about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fruit per person. Spoon on enough sauce to just coat fruit.
Top with whipped cream for a delicious dessert.
Printable Recipe

Berry Sour Cream Pie

It was my sweet Mother-in-Laws Birthday. I do think birthdays demand a special dessert. I reviewed my Pinterest boards, favorite treats and finally came up with what turned out to be a winner. I knew Geneel liked cheesecake, she also likes pie and fruit. I found a recipe on Jamie Cooks it Up that fit my criteria, I changed it to suit my needs. Mostly because I did not wast to go to the store so I made it with what I had in the freezer/pantry.

Berry Sour Cream Pie
Crust
I started out with a homemade graham cracker crust
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar,
5 tablespoons of melted butter.
A pinch of salt
Add graham crackers to a food processor--process till smooth, finely ground.
Add sugar and pulse until combined.
Add butter and salt and pulse again to combined
Put damp crumbs in a deep dish pie plate--I used a stoneware pie plate. Evenly press crumbs on the bottom of the pan as well as up the sides. I use a small measuring cup and press the crumbs firmly in the corner and then up the side. Be patient--this might take a minute. Get the crust as even as possible. Put the crust in the freezer to chill.
You could also use a store bought graham cracker crust. A homemade or purchased regular pie crust.

Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
10 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
3 cups fruit--if frozen defrost it in the microwave for a minute of so. You want the fruit room temperature when you add it to the sauce.
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
Mix cornstarch and sugar in a medium sauce pan stir well, add water and lemon juice. Heat on medium heat until mixture has thickened and is very hot. Stir rapidly so it doesn't lump. Add fruits and gently stir until mixture is thick, bubbling and shiny. Stir in salt, vanilla and butter. Pour sauce in a bowl, put in the refrigerator and cool to at least room temperature. I used one cup of blue berries and 2 cups of raspberries--it is what I had in the freezer.

Filling
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese--softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream (whipped)---you can use an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip in place of the cream, if you do, use all of the powdered sugar and vanilla in the cream cheese mixture.
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
In you stand mixer with a whip attachment whip the cream till soft peaks  appear. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Don't bother to clean your whip. Using a rubber scrapper scrape the cream into a small bowl. Using the slightly dirty bowl and whip (it is ok today) add your softened cream cheese. Now cooks when I say 'softened' cream cheese I mean almost warm--very soft. Put it in the not so clean bowl, add the not so clean whip and whip the living daylights out of the cream cheese. Lumpy cream cheese is not fun in any dessert. Now is your moment to get the lumps out. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and beat again until very smooth and creamy. This is how your dessert will look. Add the sour cream, half teaspoon of vanilla and dash of salt. Beat gently again. You should have a smooth, dreamy, light almost white filling. Now with a rubber spatula fold in the whipped cream. Do not over mix once the whipped cream has been added as the cream will slightly deflate. No one likes deflated cream! Now you have one delicious filling!
Take the pie shell out of the freezer, add the creamy mixture to the pie and smooth.
Cover the white filling with the now cooled fruit filling. Don't try and overfill--it will make a mess. Scrape the leftovers into a small container and top you waffles, pancakes or french toast with it.
I realize that this pie looks like too much work but take it a step at a time and it will come right together. This recipe makes one deep dish pie or 12 individual tart servings. Purchase the cute little graham cracker shells, who doesn't like their very own dessert!
Printable Recipe

TWD/BWJ Rhubarb Baby Cakes

While Rhubarb Baby Cakes may not win a beauty pageant they do taste delicious! This sweet cake starts out with a brown sugar caramel sauce and chopped pecans.  Thin slices of rhubarb are layered over the pecan/caramel sauce. Top all of this goodness with yummy cake batter. This bakes into a delicious little cake with tart rhubarb and sweet pecan caramel sauce on top.
You can make this recipe with any kind of fruit--think apple, peach or how about blueberries? This is a baby cake but you can also make the cake in a larger cake or spring form pan. The possibilities are endless.
Check Erin's blog for the complete recipe. Then check the TWB/BWJ  LYL and see what other bakers did with this recipe.

Easy Chocolate Swirl Cheescake

Sometimes I want a cheesecake--not the get out the spring form pan, crush crackers, melt butter, zest lemons, soften 4 blocks of cream cheese kind. I don't need enough for a dinner party. I just need a small cheesecake for 2 to 4. This is my remedy for Cheese Cake Now!

It's easy, has all the components, tastes delicious and is easy. You will love it and did I say it was easy??
Purchase a graham cracker or chocolate crust from the supermarket. Yes, you could make your own but then it starts getting labor intensive and this recipe is about easy. Luckily I had a crust in my storage room just waiting for such an endeavor.
Here is the complete easy recipe:

Easy Chocolate Swirl Cheese Cake
Soften 2- 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (left over from holiday baking that didn't happen) by soften I mean put it in the microwave on the soften cream cheese setting--works like a charm.
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 ounces semi sweet chocolate-melted

Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and sour cream in the bowl of a mixer and mix until there are no lumps. This will take a few minutes. Now add eggs one at a time and beat until just combined. Remove 1 cup of the cheesecake mixture and mix it with the chocolate. It's beautiful!
Pour 2/3 of the remaining cheesecake mixture in the graham cracker crust. Using a spoon put dollops of chocolate cheese cake randomly on the cheese cake. Cover with remaining cheese cake batter. Now get a butter knife and gently swirl the two mixtures together. Every swirlier will be different, each cake will be wonderful.
Put pie pan on a cookie sheet for stability. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. The most difficult part of this recipe is letting it cool for 4 hours. So if you want it for dinner make it early in the day, it's even better made the day  before. Cheesecake ages beautifully.
Top with fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate shavings or ice cream. This recipe is meant to be enjoyed!

Autumn Granola

I have 6 granola recipes on my blog, do I really need one more? Yes I do. This beautiful granola gets it's fall colors from some delicious dried fruit that I purchase from King Arthur Flour. It is their Fruitcake Blend but  don't let the word fruitcake scare you. This is my favorite blend of dried fruit because the pieces are small but the flavor isn't. It contains dried pineapple, golden raisins, apricots, cranberries and dates. Beautiful little bites of fall. I made two batches, one for me and one to share. Who doesn't like a bag of homemade granola.

Autumn Granola---inspired by Cooking For Seven

4 cups oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts but use what you love)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces butter (melted)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1 cup dried fruit
Mix oatmeal, coconut, nuts and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter, add syrup, honey and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir well. Spread on a sheet pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Stir often. When granola is cool add dried fruit.

Orange Glazed Blueberry Scones

I do love blueberries, they don't grow in Utah but thanks to Costco I have blueberries. These scones were delicious, I had plenty of company to share them with. This recipe was give a full 5 stars by my eager testers.

Orange Glazed Blueberry Scones
2 cups four
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup frozen butter--grated
3/4 cup buttermilk or cream--I used half buttermilk half cream
1 egg
 In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add frozen butter that has just been grated. Mix with your fingers, you should have a nice mix of different size pieces. Or use a pastry blender.
In a small bowl mix together buttermilk and egg. Add liquid to dry mixture and gently mix. Add in blueberries and gently stir. The more you stir the tougher the scones. Gentle is the word.
Using a large Pampered Chef Scoop put scoops of batter on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 400 for about 18 minutes.

Orange Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
zest and juice of 2 oranges
In a small saucepan mix all ingredients and simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Once thick stir well and brush or spoon on scones. This glaze should slightly harden.
I wanted to make an orange butter cream frosting--which would be yummy. The glaze added a fun dimension.
This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence

Berry Galette TWD/BWJ

This was one fun recipe! Pies scare me but a Galette I can handle. I like the words rustic, free form and open faced. I think a galette is a pie on vacation!

The galette dough came together in just minutes in my food processor. This dough calls for cornmeal--an interesting crust ingredient. I like most anything with cornmeal so I was anxious to try it. With a well floured board I had no problem rolling out the chilled dough. I then piled blueberries in the center of the dough. I sprinkled the berries with sugar, drizzled them with a little maple syrup and dotted with butter. The crust was then folded, pleated around the fruit. I brushed the crust with water and sprinkled some sparkling sugar on top. I thought it was a masterpiece (remember I'm not a pie maker).

As it baked juice did leak out but it did not affect the taste. We all enjoyed this dessert, The cornmeal crust was delicious and the blueberries screamed 'summer'! I can't wait to make this galette with peaches and apples. The recipe stated that the galette would make 4 to 6 servings. The galette is quite small, I wouldn't try to serve more than 4 guests. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream tops this dessert.

 Our host this week are Lisa and Andrea. Check their blogs for the complete recipe.

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Blueberry Granola

I do love granola it is so versatile. Start with oats, add you favorite nuts; I cleaned the freezer on this batch I had almond slivers, raw cashews and pecans. I saved the macadamias for cookies. Sweetening can be honey, brown sugar or whatever you like. Salt, vanilla and cinnamon are good seasonings, this recipe also added cardamom. Melted butter or oil of some kind gives flavor and crunch. This recipe was enhanced by adding whole wheat flour (freshly ground) and flax seeds. Dried berries add flavor and texture. That is why I love granola!

Blueberry Granola
3 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups nuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1 cup brown sugar
4 ounces butter
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
In a very large bowl mix together oats, flour, nuts and coconut. In a pan over medium heat add brown sugar, butter and water. Heat till bubbly. Stir till smooth and add salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Pour over oat mixture. Mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes
Pour mixture on a large baking pan. Cook in a 300 over for 45-55 minutes, stir every 15 minutes. Mixture should be golden and dry. Cool and add dried blueberries.
Inspired by Sister's Cafe

Peach and Raspberry Crisp

What happens when you have a few extra ripe peaches, some fresh raspberries and dinner guests? Peach Crisp by Ina Garten. Her recipes are really not to be messed with but I had to make a few changes. Lemon zest instead of orange zest, twice the amount of raspberries as called for and I halved the recipe. I also added about 1/4 cup chopped pecans to the topping. I was only serving 4 not 10. But everything worked out perfect. I would suggested putting the dish on a sheet pan to bake as it did overflow just a bit. This was excellent with fresh whipped cream or ice cream would have been yummy.
The recipe can be found here. It's delish.

TWD Vanilla Ice Cream--Rewind

Weather forecast: Hottest week of the year. Looks like a perfect time for making homemade ice cream. I have a Cusinart canister that has taken up permanent residence in my freezer. I decided to put it to good use. Actually I decided to make vanilla ice cream to use the egg yolks leftover from Dories Chocolate Meringue cookies. Two great desserts.

Dories Vanilla Ice Cream starts out by making a simple egg custard, it's not hard but does take a little time as the custard must be chilled before making the ice cream. But the wait was well worth it, we were greeted with rich creamy ice cream. I thought about putting hot fudge on the ice cream but it really stood on its own.
My canister is back in the freezer and I have tree ripened peaches. Sounds like a yummy flavor to me.
Please check one of my favorite blogs Cafe Lynnyloo she has the best photography, everything looks yummy. Lynne will have the complete recipe. Spend a few minutes on her blog--you will be glad you did.

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

We were in Chicago visiting our daughter Amber. One morning she made the best blueberry muffins I have ever eaten. They were perfect. A hint of lemon, tender crumb, juicy berries and a tasty streusel topping. What's not to like? I asked for the recipe, that's just what we do. She explained it was on Our Best Bites. What? I look at that site every day. Somehow I had missed it.
I hesitated to make them at home. Food always tastes better when someone bakes it for you and Amber lives at sea level, we live above 5000 feet. But I tried the recipe and I'm happy to say the muffins turned out perfect. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you, Our Best Bites!

Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins or Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel
1 large egg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. canola oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

Streusel Topping
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and citrus peel is large bowl and stir. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour and sugar and then toss the blueberries in this mixture until they are well-coated. Gently fold the blueberry mixture into the batter. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full.

To make the streusel topping, combine the 1/4 c. sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter and bake for 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 12 muffins.

Raspberry or Blueberry Squares

My good friend Nancy loves blueberries so it seemed only right to make her a great blueberry dessert for her birthday. We were going to lunch and I wanted something that I could hand out to our friends. These blueberry bars fit nicely in glassine envelopes.

I didn't have time to search through blogs and find something that might work, so I opened one of my American Test Kitchen cookbooks and found just the right recipe. I always enjoy reading just how and why ATK came up with the recipe they did. They test and test and then retest until it is perfect.I have yet to be disappointed. So I hope you enjoy Blueberry Squares, we did!

Blueberry Squares--American Test Kitchen
Lining the pan with foil is helpful on two accounts. It makes removal of the squares for cutting very easy (just lift the entire block and place it on a cutting board.), clean-up is a breeze. For even bars and a nice presentation trim 1/4 inch off the outer rim of the uncut block. The outside edges of all the cut squares will be neat

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, almonds or a combination
12 tablespoons butter, cut in 12 pieces, softened but still cool
1 cup blueberry or raspberry preserves
1.  Adjust pan to lower middle and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with Pam.Fold two 16 inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the pan, pushing it into corners and up the sides of the pan.Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray foil with Pam
2.  In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the flour, oats, sugars, baking soda, salt and nuts on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running at low speed, add butter pieces, continue to beat until mixture resembles wet sand about 2 minutes. You will have a little over 5 cups of crumbs.
3.  Transfer 2/3 of the mixture to the prepared pan. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of pan, I use the bottom of a metal measuring cup. Bake about 20 minutes or until starting to brown. Using an offset spatula spread the preserves evenly over the bottom  crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the preserves. Return to oven and bake until the preserves bubble around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Rotating pan half way through. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove cool bars from the pan with foil handles, remove foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut in squares 1 1/2x1 1/2 inches. Delish!

Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake

It's my turn!!!! After patiently waiting for 18 months it is finally my turn to host TWD. I was a little worried as I scanned the recipes that had already been done. We are getting to the last 6 months. However, I was amazed at all the yummy recipes still waiting to be made. I had a list of at least a dozen recipes to choose from. I left the apple recipes for fall picks as well as a yummy Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie.

But it is the perfect time of year for blueberries! Beautiful blueberries were at Costco for a decent price. So I was happy to choose Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake. It turned out to be an excellent choice. It was easy to mix together with ingredients I had on hand. I did purchase a 11x7 Pyrex Pan, mostly because I have always wanted one. 

We thought this was excellent. Just what its name suggested; Blueberry Brown Sugar Plain Cake. It was tender, moist and blueberry delicious. I served it with ice cream, but it didn't need it.

Here is the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours.

Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake

This "Plain Cake"--no crumbs, streusel, nuts, icing or filling--is just plain appealing.  It's got soft crumbs, a strong streak of caramel brown sugar flavor and the here-and-there surprise of sweet tart berries. It's a perfect "daylight" cake, good for breakfast, brunch or lunch, and it can easily be a picnic cake because it is eminently packable.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus)

1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

2 large eggs, separated

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1 pint blueberries--fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter an 11x7 inch Pyrex baking pan and place on a baking sheet.

    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt. 

    Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they form firm, glossy peaks. Gently scrape the whites into a clean bowl if using a stand mixer. Fix the mixer with the paddle attachment, if you have one. (There is no need to clean the mixer bowl). Put the butter and sugar in the mixer bowl, or in another large bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add the egg yolks and beat 2 more minutes. Reduce the mixer to low and add half the dry ingredients, then all of the milk and then the remainder of the dry ingredients, adding each new batch as soon as the previous batch has been incorporated.

    Switch to a large rubber spatula  and lighten the batter by stirring in about one quarter of the stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in the rest of the whites, working as gently as you can. Since the cake batter is heavy, it's only natural you'll deflate the whites a little--don't be concerned. Still working with as light a hand as possible, fold in the blueberries, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

    Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it is golden and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before dusting the top with confectioners' sugar and serving warm.

    Makes about 15 servings.

Serving: Once the cake is cool enough to cut it is cool enough to eat. give the cake another dusting of cofectioners' sugar and cut the cake into squares about 2 inches on a side. I like the cake plain, but if you're looking for an accompaniment, look at blueberry jam or a bowl of lightly sweetened sour cream or creme fraiche.

Storing: Well covered, the cake will keep at room temperature for about 3 days. You can wrap the cake airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months, but it really is best fresh.

 

And that my friends is everything you need to know about a Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake! I highly recommend it. Check out the other TWD bakers, they are an amazing group of talented bakers. I'm sure they had fun with this recipe. If you don't own Dorie's, 'Baking From My Home To Yours', put it on your Amazon wish list, or get it for Hubby for Fathers Day. It is a wealth of baking information; I can't say enough good about it!
Linked to Every Day Sisters Sharing Sundays

Blueberry Crumb Bars

It is berry season and I have found the perfect recipe for that big container of blueberries that found its way into your shopping cart at Costco. This delicious bar is perfect for breakfast (hey, it's full of fruit), snack time or heated gently and served with a bit of vanilla ice cream. It also freezes well, you really can't go wrong with it!

It originates from Smitten Kitchen, an awesome food blog. Check out my daughter Amber's blog, she added a layer of cream cheese--how good does that sound!
Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup cold butter
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix 1 cup sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and flour in food processor, add cold butter and egg. Pulse till crumbly.

Pat half of the dough in a greased 9x13 pan.

In a bowl stir together the ½ cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake 375 for about 45 minutes till top is slightly brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. Refrigerate.
Linked to Every Day Sisters Sharing Sunday

Tuesdays With Dorie--Blueberry Crumb Cake

I finally did it--joined a blogging/baking group. I have been a follower of TWD for a year, I love the cookbook and the awesome bloggers that bring this book to life each Tuesday. So todays recipe was chosen by Sihan check her blog for details. This Blueberry Crumb Cake was delicious! I love blueberries and have numerous recipes that include this delicious berry. But I think this recipe 'takes the cake' or crumb cake for that matter. It was everything that Miss Dorie promised. I wanted to share this treat so I made 16 crumb cake muffins. I tried some with shiny foil liners and some in my greased stoneware muffin pans. Both were yummy and perfect for sharing.


I used frozen berries--fresh are still pricey and a bit wilted in our neighborhood. Frozen berries worked great. I tossed the frozen berries with flour just before adding them to my batter. This prevents the berries from sinking. Mixing frozen berries also keeps the 'blue streaking' to a minimum. This recipe is my new 'go to' blueberry treat!

Yogurt Creme

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs Pioneer Woman. It really is so simple I can hardly call it a recipe but it is delicious all the same! Just thin plain yogurt with a little cream, sprinkle with brown sugar, cover tightly and it will make it's magic as it sits in the fridge overnight. In the morning stir and drizzle over blueberries (I'm using frozen today) and top with Judi's yummy granola. Now that is a breakfast worth getting up for! Pioneer Woman has quantities on her blog but I used less brown sugar because my granola is quite sweet. I also used less cream--I like thick yogurt! Have fun, you can't go wrong.