Blueberry Crumb Cake, Fats Domino and Blue Monday

Blueberries - partie un: What sparked this meme? I knew I was under fire when the second volley of berries hit me. He was a two-something minx who'd been left sitting in the grocery cart and was using the alone time to raid the berry basket and have a little target practice. That would be me. He was awfully cute; chances are he'll grow up to become a gunnery sergeant - if his mother doesn't kill him first. I held my ground lest he try to stand in the cart before she returned. My 40 yard dash was once the envy of the neighborhood and I stood at the ready should my prowess be needed to prevent bashed brains or sundry injuries. The adrenalin coursed until Mom returned, confirming to me yet again that God takes care of fools, drunks and mischievous baby boys.

Blueberries - partie deux: Ah, the music. Saddle shoes. Poodle skirts. Sock hops. I was 14 when he - all 15 years of him - asked me to dance. This was the song. The path to the altar was neither smooth or straight but we eventually got there. By that time, folk music, protest movements and coffee houses had replaced rock and roll and sock hops had gone the way of the dinosaur. The Weaver's trumped Fats Domino and folks stopped dancing altogether, but it's lovely to sit here in my December and remember the world when it was very young.

Blueberries - partie trois: Finally, it's time to eat, so grab a fork and belly up to the bar. I'm trying to reach the bottom of the freezer before the start of the new berry season. In order to do that, I've decided to have a blueberry bonanza - the first ever theme week on One Perfect Bite. Over the course of the next 7 days you're bound to find something you'll like. So, I hope you share my love of berries and will visit everyday to see what we're up to. First up is a crumb cake based on one developed by Ina Garten. Let's get the berrython started.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients:
Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup reduced-fat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup blueberries (if using frozen do not thaw)
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.
2) To make streusel, place granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir in melted butter. Add flour. Mix well. Set Aside.with fork to combine and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.
3) To make the cake, cream butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and creamy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, just until incorporated. Add vanilla, lemon zest and yogurt. Place flour, baking powder,, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low speed just till combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with a knife or offset spatula. Crumble streusel topping over batter. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack to cool. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from cake pan and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Transfer to cake plate. Yield: 8 servings.