Child's Play - Blueberry Buckle

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is the buckle I promised yesterday. I am, however, adding a conditional provision to my claim that it's the world's greatest blueberry buckle. Every word of that is true, if you are working with seasonally ripe berries that are packed with flavor. There is not much to a buckle and if the berries are a bust it is not worth making. It's a fruit cake that's topped with a streusel that makes the surface of the cake look buckled. If the berries are not spectacular, I'm afraid the cake may disappoint. The recipe I use is, arguably, one of the easiest in the dessert repertoire, and it is a perfect exercise for young cooks. The cake is made with a simple batter that requires no special equipment, and save for a bowl or two, clean up is a snap. I use frozen berries to make this buckle. The batter is so stiff that the folding of fresh berries into it would crush them and cause them to bleed into the batter. Purple cake is a real turnoff. The crackly sugar crust makes this dessert a favorite of those who have a sweet tooth. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. It is one of the simplest I've ever tried. Here is how the cake is made.

Child's Play - Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is an old standby that's wonderful to pull out of mothballs when you have young children who want to help in the kitchen. It requires no special equipment, and truth be told, it's more an exercise in measurement than technique. That means it's a cake they can make with minimal adult supervision. Chances are you have everything needed to make the cake in your pantry and refrigerator. For as wild as it might sound, the mayonnaise subs for the eggs and shortening that are generally found in cake recipes. It works. The end result is a moist cake that many of us loved when we were children. It can be frosted, but a sprinkling of powdered sugar is all that's really needed to finish it. If you have never made the cake, I hope you will give it a try. If you have made it,  I hope the memory of it will make you smile. Here's the recipe.