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.

Two Simple Recipes for Picnic Cookie Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have two recipes to share with you tonight. Both are for totable fruit bars and that makes them perfect candidates for informal summer get-togethers. One recipe is for a strawberry layered shortbread and the other is for a streusel topped blueberry-oatmeal square. They both make fabulous cookies, and I think the final determinant as to which is best, depends entirely on personal taste. If you are in a hurry, the strawberry shortbread is nearly effortless to make, but the streusel bars are simple enough that children can make them. When stored in an airtight container, both cookies will keep for several days, but leftovers are rarely a problem with either of these cookies. I do hope you'll try at least one of these bars. Actually, I hope you'll try both. They speak to old-fashioned summer days and I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a slightly altered version of a cake that graced Midwestern farm tables for years. It is super easy to make and it's simply delicious - the kind of delicious that makes my socks going up and down. This butter-rich cake is wonderfully moist and has a gorgeous velvet crumb that almost melts on the tongue. It is also eminently portable and all of this makes it a perfect candidate for a barbecue or picnic. If you are still looking for a slightly different holiday dessert, I hope you'll keep this in mind. I know you'll enjoy it. Here is how this simple cake is made.

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely cake would be perfect for brunch on Mother's Day, and if you are a mother cooking for your mother, know that she will love it and appreciate your efforts. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit magazine and it is almost perfect. I do have a couple of thoughts to share with those of you who are tempted to try it, however. If you have a standard oven, this cake will need more time to bake than suggested in the recipe below. Mine took almost 1-1/2 hours for the center of the cake to properly set. I suspect the time discrepancy can be attributed to the type of oven used to test the original recipe. I'm guessing it was tested using a convection rather than a standard oven. Based on the comments that accompanied the recipe, it is clear that others also needed extra time for baking. I also think you'll have better results with this recipe if you use fresh, rather than frozen, blueberries. Thawed berries are fragile and they will bleed into the cake, adding additional moisture that you don't want here. If you watch the time and use fresh berries, you'll have a really special cake to show for your efforts. The cake keeps well for a day, so there is no last minute effort required to serve something special to your guest of honor. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how the cake is made.

Very Berry Fruit Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I came across a can of cranberry sauce as I was packing up our current pantry today. The storage area in the home to which we are moving is a good deal smaller than what we currently have, so I'm being very selective about what will actually move with us. The cranberry sauce didn't make my vital's  list and because it is not an item that the food shelters look forward to at this time of year,  I  had to find a way to use it. I toyed, ever so briefly, with the idea of making a holiday-type chicken dinner before brushing that thought aside. I did, however, remember seeing a quick bread recipe in Taste of Home magazine that used cranberry sauce. I was able to find the recipe online and it looked like it would solve my problem, so I set to work. The recipe was straight forward and easy to follow and I had 2 loaves of berry bread ready to eat in a bit over an hour. We sampled the bread as soon as it was cool enough to eat. It was, as we have been known to say, sufficient to the day. This is not a loaf that will make or break your reputation as a cook. It is a nice basic quick bread, and if you happen to have a can of cranberry sauce lying around the house, you might want to give it a try or, barring that, at least keep it in mind for the Thanksgiving holiday. Here is how the bread is made.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are days I'm sure I've fallen into the rabbit hole. Maybe it's just the nomenclature that gets to me, but this morning I was struck by the ridiculousness of having a meeting to plan a meeting. Judging by the progress we made, I think the gals were just lonely and needed a coffee klatsch to mark the end of summer and head them into fall. We had lots of laughs but I'm not sure we left with an agenda for the meeting that brought us together. I made a batch of the muffins for the occasion and thought I'd share the recipe with you tonight. It comes Taste of Home magazine and while these muffins will not rock your soul, they are a great excuse for using up the last of your summer berries. They are easily made and have a thick streusel topping that most folks seem to love. The first time I made these, I thought they were a bit too bland, so I added extra vanilla and cinnamon to the next batch. Be forewarned that the batter for these muffins is very thick and the muffins can be dense and dry if they are over baked. While ovens vary, I can tell you that mine were ready in 25 minutes. There is nothing here not to like and if you are looking for a new recipe for blueberry muffins, I hope you'll give this one a try. Here is how the muffins are made.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
Muffins
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or paper line the 12 cups of a standard muffin pan. Set aside.
2) Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla and mix well. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Fold in blueberries.
3) Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.
4) To make streusel: Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Tomato Crostini

Two Years Ago Today: Pasta with Bread Crumbs and Herbed Tomatoes

Three Years Ago Today: Mexican Rice

Four Years Ago Today: Biscotti Regina

New England-Style Blueberry and Apple Pandowdy

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are home again, a bit jet-lagged, several pounds heavier and brimming with a trove of memories that rival the weight of Midas' gold. The two munchkins you see above managed to keep us all entertained with their curiosity, good natures, and general love of silliness. You can imagine the giggles that erupted when they learned there was a dessert called a pandowdy. They quickly put the word to their own use and their latest epithet is pandowdy do-do head. I suspect our Pilgrim forefather's are rolling in their graves with each utterance of the new curse.

A pandowdy is a fruit dessert that is sweetened with maple syrup and topped with a layer of pie crust, biscuit dough or a mildly sweet cake-like batter. The crust is obviously where variations come into play. After it is baked, most folks break up the crust and push parts of it into the fruit mixture to give the dessert a messy or dowdy appearance. Pandowdy is an old New England dish that was born of necessity. It uses extremely basic ingredients and the use of syrup harkens back to the days when white sugar was expensive or unavailable. I cheat a bit and use both sugar and syrup in my version of the recipe. Despite that, this is not an overly sweet dessert. I like to serve it warm with a good vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. I hope those of you who have never prepared this simple dessert will give it a try. I know you will enjoy it. Here is how it is made.

Blueberry and Apple Pandowdy...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter or spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2) Combine apples, blueberries, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover dish with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Whisk to combine.
4) Combine milk, egg, butter and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Pour into dry mixture and stir to combine.
5) Spoon batter over apples and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Pan Grilled Shrimp with Barbecue Spices

Two Years Ago Today: Thai-Style Green Beans

Three Years Ago Today: Flank Steak with Garlic and Parsley Sauce

Four Years Ago Today: Tomato Brunch Sandwiches

Blueberry Bread Pudding with Spiced Blueberry Sauce

      

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Oregon is one of 21 states that still allow the sale of fireworks. The tents in which they are sold went up this weekend and that's a sure sign that the 4th of July is on its way. Their appearance also triggers a wash of memories of those times, when I, if not the world, was young. It's fair to say I have a special fondness for this holiday. It's probably born of time and place, but Independence Day, especially as it was celebrated in my childhood, has permanently reserved a spot in my recollections of how things were and probably should be. Forgotten are the wants a country at war could not provide, but remembered keenly are the festivities that were planned to make the day special. They began with a bicycle parade that roped its way through the streets of our community. We spent the prior day  festooning bikes and trikes with reams of streamers, each of us sure that our creation would win the coveted watermelon award. I suspect, in retrospect, they all looked pretty much the same, but somehow the judges always found a best of show and one "lucky duck" got to wear the crown for the day. While we'd check in for lunch, kids were pretty much left on their own and we swarmed through the neighborhood in packs, looking for things to make or do. We spent hours under the sprinkler, and, back then, punks, which the grown-ups used to light fireworks, were a big thing. We'd pretend to smoke them and use them to light something we called snakes. Snakes were small disks that would expand and crawl along the pavement when they were lit. They left smudgy stains on the pavement that would be visible for weeks after the holiday had passed and I've often wondered what archeologists would think if they came across those tracks eons later. Towards dusk the neighbors would gather for a communal picnic and stake out spots for the evening's fireworks. Barbecue had not yet captured the imagination of the nation, but there was fried chicken with all the fixin's and enough iced tea to float a battle ship. There was a pie-eating contest and watermelon galore. I must admit there were also seed-spitting contests and I was the proud winner of more than  a few. The capstone of the day was, of course, the fireworks display, but what I most fondly remember were the sparklers that we got to light and hold before the show began. I had a runaway imagination and I was sure that this was how space looked when a new star was born. Astronomers needed telescopes to see what I held in my hand. The wonder and sweetness of it all!

Now, it is impossible to have an Independence Day celebration without blueberries. By now everyone knows that on the 4th of July blueberries are more American than apple pie. I have dozens of recipes that use them and I am always on the lookout for one more. I found another last week on the Driscoll's Berry website. It is a keeper of the first magnitude and one that I am happy to share with you. The recipe is straight forward and the bread pudding is absolutely delicious, with or without the sauce. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. I promise you will not regret it. Here's how the pudding is made.

Blueberry Bread Pudding with Spiced Blueberry Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Driscoll's Berries

Ingredients:
Bread Pudding
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 loaf Italian bread (1 pound)
6 large eggs
5 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups blueberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
Spiced Blueberry Sauce
2 cups blueberries, divided
1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 cups water

Directions for Bread Pudding:
1)  Butter six individual 8-ounce ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside.
2)  Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice bread into 1/2-inch slides and place on a cookie sheet. Toast 10 minutes, turning bread slices over once. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
3)  Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and drizzle over cubes, toss until evenly coated, set aside.
4)  Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes and stir until evenly moistened. Stir in blueberries. Spoon mixture into ramekins. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
5)  Place ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins.
Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (Cover with foil if browning too quickly during baking.) Cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with warm Spiced Blueberry Sauce, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Directions for Spiced Blueberry Sauce:
1)  Purée 1 cup blueberries in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2)  Stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and cardamom in a small saucepan until blended. Add blueberry puree and water.Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat stir in remaining blueberries and lemon juice. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

One Year Ago Today: Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Rhubarb Custard Pie

Three years Ago Today: Deviled Eggs with Curry and Cilantro

Four Years Ago Today: Buttermilk Tarts

Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These muffins are a wonderful addition to the array of cakes and sweet breads that are served for breakfast. Despite the sugary crust, they are less sweet than most breakfast pastries and I think they will appeal to those of you who watch your sugar intake or enjoy less treacly sweets. They are not much work to assemble and they can be made with a couple of bowls and a wooden spoon. The recipe is a treasure to have on hand when you have to work in a kitchen that has more charm than functionality. As a matter of fact, I carry a copy of it when we are vacationing and I know that we'll be eating in. Eating in is family code for "Mom's cooking." The muffins are at their best when made with fresh blueberries, but I use the frozen variety a good deal of the time. If you use frozen berries do not thaw them. Thawed berries are too soft to survive the folding process and you'll end up with muffins that look like pallid eggplants. These muffins have lovely dome-like tops that crack and crater the sugar crust as they rise. They are attractive in a rough-hewn way and a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar will add greatly to their eye appeal. These muffins are fast, easy and delicious. Here is how they are made.



Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 1/2 stick cold butter, cut up
Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners sugar (optional)

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat  wells of a jumbo muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) To make crumb topping: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Work in butter with your fingertips until crumbs are formed. Set aside. .
3) To prepare muffins: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water, the eggs and oil. Stir flour mixture into oil mixture just until moistened. Gently fold in berries.
4) To bake muffins: Divide batter among prepared wells, about 1/2 cup in each. Top batter with reserved crumb topping, dividing equally (about 1/4 cup on each). Bake at 350 degrees F for 33 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer directly to wire rack and continue to cool. Before serving, dust with confectioners sugar, if desired. Yield: 6 muffins.







One Year Ago Today: Sauteed Diver Scallops with Miso Sauce













Two Years Ago Today: Portuguese White Cornmeal Bread














Three Years Ago Today: Chocolate Flans
















Four Years Ago Today: Irish Caraway Crisps

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a nice casserole to serve when you have a crowd at the breakfast table and you'd like to start their day with a special meal. It is a cross between bread pudding and French toast and therein lies the cause of the descriptive restraint that is about to follow. It's neither one thing or the other, and the name is misleading. Made according to the original recipe directions, the casserole looks and tastes far more like bread pudding than French toast. While that's fine for some, it is off-putting to those who are expecting the real thing for their breakfast. Fortunately, I've found that cooking this casserole for an additional 20 to 25 minutes produces a dish that French toast lover's will enjoy. This is an old recipe that first appeared in Taste of Home magazine back in 1996, and that, coincidentally, was the year I first made it for my family. It's one of those recipes that refuses to go away and it keeps on rising from the dead, despite attempts to bury it. The dish requires some forethought, as it must be assembled the night before you want to serve it, but, on the flip side, it is really easy to make. I use a commercial prepared blueberry streusel bread as the base for the casserole and while I've left the full-fat ingredients in the recipe below, I actually use lower fat alternatives. If you are unable to find the blueberry bread a loaf of cinnamon bread can be used. This is a dish that's meant for special occasions, so I don't stress about the extra calories. The casserole is not overly sweet, but I do want to warn you that the syrup can be cloying if too much of it is used. If you are looking for a special family breakfast dish, you might enjoy this one. Here's how it is made.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Patricia Walls and Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:

Casserole

1 (1-pound) loaf day-old blueberry streusel bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided use
12 eggs
2 cups light cream or half-and-half
1/3 cup maple syrup

Sauce

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1) Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Cover bottom of baking dish with half the cubed bread. Dot top of cubes with small, evenly placed pieces of cream cheese. Sprinkle with 1 cup of blueberries. Cover with remaining bread cubes.
2) In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and maple syrup and mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle top of casserole with reserved1/4 cup blueberries. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown and center is set.
4) To make syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter. Serve over French toast. Makes 1-3/4 cups sauce.
5) Cut casserole into desired number of portions. Transfer to plates for serving. Lightly drizzle each serving with a tablespoon of sauce. Pass remaining sauce at table. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Bucket Bread

Two Years Ago Today: Courgette and Noodle Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Three Years Ago Today: Banh Mi

Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful cake to keep in mind for the 4th of July. It is easy to make and nothing speaks to summer better than a pint of blueberries, except, perhaps, a pint of blueberries suspended and baked in a light and luscious batter. This is not a cake for the sophisticated. If, however, you love parades and fireworks and hot dogs, I think you'll find this cake very tempting. The recipe I'm featuring  was developed by Pat Concree and it was published in the Boston Globe several years ago. While the cake is best made with fresh berries, frozen fruit can be used as long as it is not allowed to thaw. Soft berries will bleed into the batter and spoil its color. I do have one suggestion to make. This is a very moist cake and it will become soggy if it sits too long in the pan. While not specified in the recipe, I turn my cake on a wire rack so the bottom has a chance to dry. I love to serve this warm, but it is also delicious when it is served at room temperature. It is not a good keeper, so try to serve it when you have a gang to feed. I think those of you who try this cake will love it. Here's the recipe.

Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Pat Concree and the Boston Globe

Ingredients:

Cake

1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries, picked over
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 cup whole milk

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, tapping out excess flour.
2) Place blueberries in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon flour.
3) Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.
4) In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5) Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream together. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
6) With mixer set on its lowest speed, beat flour mixture into batter alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in whites, then fold in the blueberries.
7) Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes or until it pulls away from the sides of pan and top springs back when pressed with a fingertip.
8) To make glaze: Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Add additional lemon juice as necessary to make a mixture that pours easily. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.










One Year Ago Today: Rhubarb Custard Pie
















Two Years Ago Today: Deviled Eggs with Curry and Cilantro















Three Years Ago Day: Buttermilk Tarts

Bob's Blueberry Blintzes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the Silver Fox and I first had children, we agreed not to call each other Mom or Dad. Father's Day was always a celebration planned and executed by the kids and that worked wonderfully well until we all scattered across the country. Now, while there are still telephone calls and silly cards, the celebration has become very low key. I've taken to preparing one or two of his favorite dishes to make the day a bit more special, but that is usually the extent of the celebration here. His request this year was for blueberry blintzes and Korean barbecue chicken. I want to share both recipes with you, but we'll only touch on one tonight. I'm not usually fond of my own recipes, but this one is special and it is an exception. I love it for lots of reasons. While it requires some effort to prepare, it is a great way to feed a crowd. The recipe can be doubled or tripled if you are so inclined, and it is a marvelous addition to a brunch buffet or special breakfast. There are three basic steps to the blintzes and they can be executed in stages that make the dish quite easy to prepare. The most difficult is the preparation of the crepes. If that is off-putting to you, buy crepes in the supermarket and carry on with the rest of the recipe. If you plan to make them, remember that your batter should be about as thick as heavy cream. Additional water or flour can be added to reach that consistency if needs be. If you want tender crepes, let the batter sit for at least two hours before cooking. The resting time allows the flour to absorb the liquid and the foam to dissipate. Cover and refrigerate the batter if it is to sit for longer than 1 hour. The filling and the blueberry sauce are really easy to do and you'll have no problem with either of them. The sauce used in this recipe is exceptional and it still makes my socks go up and down. I know those of you who try this recipe will be delighted with the result. Here's how the blintzes are made.

Blueberry Blintzes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:

Crepes

1-1/2 cups 2% milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1 package (3 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup water
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 cups frozen unsweetened mixed berries
1/2 cup port wine or grape juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen thawed blueberries

Directions:
1) To make crepes: Combine milk, eggs and butter in a small bowl. Combine flour and
salt and add to milk mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Heat a lightly greased 8-inch nonstick skillet. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter into center of skillet and lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom of pan. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate.
2) To make filling: Process cottage cheese in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and add mascarpone cheese. Beat until smooth. Beat in sugar, orange zest and vanilla.
3) To make sauce: Bring water and sugar to a boil. Add frozen berries and wine or juice; return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Mash and strain berries, reserving juice. Return juice to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and mix until smooth. Stir into blueberry sauce and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in berries. Set aside.
4) To assemble and cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread about 1 rounded tablespoonful onto each crepe. Fold left side of crepe over filling. Fold bottom side up and top side down to encase filling. Finally, bring right side of crepe to center, forming a small package. Place seam side down in a greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake for about 10 minute, or until heated through.
5) To serve: Place 2 warm blintzes on each of 8 dessert plates. Top with warm blueberry sauce and serve. Yield: 8 servings.
 
This post is being  linked to Stone Gable's On the Menu Monday feature.







One Year Ago Today: Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata















Two Years Ago Today: Southwestern Cilantro Rice Salad
















Three Years Ago Today: Ultimate Cheater's Pulled Pork

Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Quick Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of my grandson's calls this leopard bread. I suppose I should be insulted, but I have to admit it's an apt description of a bread that tastes much better than it looks. The bread is very easy to prepare and it transports well, so, it was one of the treats I made for the nurses last week. My freezer is almost always packed with fruit hoarded from the summer's harvest. I hate to limit fruit breads and pastries to the summer kitchen, so I try to put by enough to assure our favorite desserts can be had year round. Despite a late and disappointing harvest, the blueberries I was able to freeze last summer were exceptionally flavorful and good enough to make this simple bread gift-worthy. If you don't already have a recipe for blueberry quick bread in your files, I can recommend this one without reservation. Frozen berries work really well in this recipe and make it possible to serve the bread year round. I hope you will give this version a try. I really think you'll like it. Here's the recipe.

Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Quick Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

Bread

2 large eggs
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour + 1 tablespoon flour, divided use
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Topping

1 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12 x 5-inch pullman loaf pan or two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease paper. Set aside.
2) Combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat to combine. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla.
3) Whisk 3 cups flour, salt and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Add to liquid ingredients, beating just until blended.
4) Toss blueberries in reserved 1 tablespoon of flour. Fold into batter. Fold in walnuts,if using. Pour batter into pan.
5) To make topping: Mix butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
6) Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Transfer pan to a cooling rack. Let sit in pan for 30 minutes. Remove bread from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.

One Year Ago Today: Mocha Crumb Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Papaya Lime Fool

Three Years Ago Today: Pork Chops with Homemade Curry and Chutney Sauce