Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Few things are universal hits in my house of picky eaters.  This one was a home run with all involved.  Whats not to like...oodles of wild blueberry suspended in a light cake with a cinnamon streusel topping.  Lifes good and its a frequent request that disappears in one day.

Let me again extol the virtues of fresh frozen wild blueberries.  Get them, they have intense real flavor packed into those tiny nuggets.  None of that gritty flavorless qualities of the commercially grown grape sized monstrosities.  To quote my friend Mary Fox, "don't make me hurt you..."  Get the real thing a delightful frozen wild blueberry.'

Another ingredient is not a staple but worth the couple of bucks to get is real buttermilk.  It brings a righteous tang to the cake and the perfect crumb.  Yes I know you can fake buttermilk with whole milk and vinegar or lemon juice, but the flavor is off and affects the crumb quality as well.  What you don't use in the coffee cake...use it in batch of pancakes.

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Topping

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• 2 T soft butter
• pinch kosher salt

Cake

• 2 c flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 c butter milk
• 1/4 c melted butter
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 c frozen blueberries thawed

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter bottom and sides of an 8X8 glass baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients.  Cut in butter with fork until soft crumbs form and butter is incorporated.  Set aside.

Melt butter and cool until no longer hot to the touch. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together to combine. Combine buttermilk, eggs , vanilla and stir to combine.  Add cooled melted butter to the buttemilk mixture.  Slowly add dry mixture to buttermilk in small batches stirring to just absorbed.  Over stirring will toughen the final product so stir lightly and only until combined

Gently fold in the frozen blueberries.  Pur batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven 40-45 months until cake tests clean with a tooth pick and is golden brown.

Blueberry Rhubarb Pie

Growing up spending summer with my Grandmothers in Ely Minnesota I managed to learn a few things about Blueberries and Rhubarb.  FACT.  They go together great in a pie.  No kidding.

This version is based loosely on my Grandmothers recipes.  I twisted it up with the inclusion of half a vanilla bean split and seeded to up the flavor quotient a bit.  Just remember to fish out the pod before you mix the filling.

I'm also a blueberry SNOB to the nth degree.  Those nasty grape size things sold in the grocery store certainly ARE NOT blueberries.  They are gritty, lack flavor and not worth the hard earned cash you spend on them. What is however worth it is buying frozen wild blueberries from Trader Joe's or similar grocery store. Yes you pay a premium but what you gain in texture and flavor is worth every buck more they cost you over the domesticated stuff.  Take that bit of wisdom to the groc your next trip and get the wild blueberries.

Blueberry Rhubarb Pie

• 2 sheets pie crust
• 3 stalks rhubarb
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/2 vanilla bean pod
• 3 c wild blueberries
• 3 T corn starch
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 1 T water
• 2 t coarse raw sugar

Preheat oven to 425F

Trim root end and leaves from rhubarb.  Slice into 1/2" chunks.  In non-reactive pan add sugar and 1/2 cup water. Add rhubarb. Split vanilla bean pod and scrape out seeds, adding seeds and pod to mixture.  Stir to dissolve sugar over medium heat.  When it begins to boil reduce heat and cook 5-8 minutes until rhubarb is just fork tender. 

Remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean pod.  Add frozen blueberries and corn starch. Fold gently to combine. Set aside to cool.

Roll out bottom crust and loosely fit into pie plate.  Add cooled pie filling.  Roll out remaining crust for the top of pie. Gently place top crust onto pie.  Gently fold under into the bottom crust and crimp edges to seal.  Cut steam slits into top crust. 

Combine egg and 1T water, beat to incorporate.  With a pastry brush, lightly coat the top crust with the egg wash.  Sprinkle with coarse raw sugar.  Place pie on a baking sheet to catch spills.  Bake for 1 hour.  At the half hour mark you may need to put foil on the edges of the pie to prevent from burning.
Cool on wire rack to room temp before serving.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

I know I have ranted about blueberries in the past, but if you can't pick your own wild buy the frozen wild from either Trader Joe's or Safeway's "O" brand.  Do not buy those dreadful grape sized flavorless gritty things that the markets try to pass off as blueberries, you are doing yourself a grave disservice if you do.  Call me a blueberry snob, I fit the profile.

That said, Rhubarb is in season.  That is one of those love it or hate it plant materials.  I love it. I remember getting a bit stalk as a kid and a bowl of sugar and eating it raw as a kid on my grandma's farm.  It was quite the treat.  And the things she would bake up with it were simply amazing and whenever I make it now it brings me right back to their kitchens.

Rhubarb is a very tart, stringy and tough stalk.  It does need to be pre-cooked, or at least that is how I remember it being done as a kid.  As it is very acrid I'd suggest you use a non-reactive pan when cooking it so you don't pick up any metallic aftertastes. Pre-cooking also tenderizes it so it will be perfectly tender to the tooth in your baked goods.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

• 3 stalks (about 2 c) diced rhubarb
• 1 12 oz package frozen wild blueberry
• 1 c water
• 1 c sugar
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 1/2 c oat meal
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4t cinnamon
• 1/2 c butter melted

Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in sauce pan.  Bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover and cool to room temperature.
Toss blueberries with corn starch.  Fold in rhubarb mixture.  Put into an 8"X8" baking pan
In mixing bowl with paddle attachment mix oat meal, flour,cinnamon and brown sugar until blended.  Slowly pour in butter with mixer on slow speed.  Mix until it resembles course sand.  Sprinkle mixture over fruit.  Put in 350F oven and bake 35-40 minutes until bubbly and top is browned.

Swampberry Pie - not as bad as you think

Blueberry's and cranberry's love the swamp, grow in swamps, hence the name swampberry pie.

In this lovely little pie I use frozen wild blueberries from Trader Joe's. Well worth the extra buck over the domestic kind. You get a much more intense blueberry flavor with none of that gritty seed action when you opt for the wild blueberry. Of course I got spoiled on the real wild blueberry as a kid traipsing about the swamps around Ely, MN picking them for pies, muffins and pancakes with my grandmother.

Unlike my grandmother, I don't have a decent pie hand. But I do quite well with building the guts of a pie. Marie Calender's pie shells are the best by far that I have seen, and guess what...no dough to have to get mad at and toss in the trash in a fit of anger when it starts shredding and falling apart. A total win for me. If you can make the pie dough from scratch and have it not fall apart when trying to get into the pie plate more power to you!

Swampberry Pie

• 1 deep dish pie shell
• 12 oz bag frozen wild blueberries
• 2/3 C dried sweetened cranberries (I use craisans brand)
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 T corn starch
• 1 C flour
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C butter - cubed
• 1/2 t cinnamon

In bowl gently toss blueberry, cranberry, lemon juice, lemon zest and corn starch until blended. Pour into the prepared pie shell.

Pour flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a blow and stir to blend up evenly. Add cubed butter and with a pastry cutter or stand mixer with a whisk attachment blend in the butter to the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Pour over fruit mixture in pie pan.

Bake 400F for 50-60 minutes until topping is golden brown.

Shell all nicely loaded waiting for topping

Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

As one with a genetic predisposition to cholesterol problems I do what I can with diet to help keep it under control. I'm no monk and have been known to splurge on the full fat stuff every now and then to satiate the hedonist within, but not always, certainly not for daily living.

The problem with most low and no fat cookery is that it has a definite lack of texture coupled with a certain blandness. It should be no secret that fat is a flavor (and vitamin) transporter so when you reduce fat you need to up the flavor quotient to still get the desired effect in the mouth.

This muffin recipe is an adaptation of one of those cardboard varieties I was passed along as being good. Meh. They were pretty bland and lacked a lot of moisture and taste. To up the taste factor I added a hint of nutmeg, some cinnamon and vanilla which is a blueberries favorite playmate in the kitchen. To combat the moisture loss from all the fat normally found in a recipe I increased the amount of blueberries from 1 cup to 1 pint. (Besides...who picks or purchases blueberries by the cup anyway?)

So here you go. A low fat Blueberry Muffin recipe that still is moist and flavorful with just the tiniest smidge of fat in them.

Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 cup non-fat milk
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 T oil (I use vegetable oil, but canola oil would work fine)
• 1 large egg
• 1 pint blueberries
• turbinado sugar (optional for sprinkling on tops)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Combine all the dry ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to disperse evenly.

In a small bowl combine the liquid ingredients and beat in the egg. Stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in Blueberries. Distribute batter evenly between paper cup lined muffin tins. Sprinkle tops with the turbinado sugar. Bake 20-22 minutes until lightly browned and they test clean with a tooth pick.

A couple of things to note. Metal foil cup liners work better than paper variety. The lack of fat in the recipe makes for a wetter batter that soaks into the paper variety and makes them just a bit harder to remove.

Don't over beat your muffin mix either. A spoon and doing it by hand until just moistened yields a muffin that will rise correctly yet have a nice crumb texture. Over beating can cause them to not rise and forms the gluten in the flour so you have a tough texture.

Swampberry Sourdough Bread

Half the battle with sourdough is the patience to just let it work at its own pace.  Once you have an easy bread it is even easier to adapt it.   This is "Swampberry Sourdough Bread" in honor of the fruit of the swamp - blueberry and cranberry.  Those lovely anti-oxidant rich little sweet treats that help keep us healthy.  

Swampberry Sourdough Bread

• 2 C starter sponge
  
• 2- 2 1/2 cups flour
  
• 2 T olive oil
  
• 4 t sugar
  
• 2 t salt 
  
• 1/4 c dried blueberry
  
• 1/4 c dried cranberry 
  
• 2 t cinnamon
  
• seasalt, or kosher salt for sprinkling 
  

Before adding ingredients did you remember to reserve starter for the future?

To the sponge add 2C flour, olive oil, sugar and salt.  Knead with dough hook until a ball forms.

This is a wet dough but if too wet add additional flour 1 heaping Tablespoon at a time until it forms a tight ball.   It is very important that you touch and poke this dough.  Knead about 5 minutes with dough hook. Add Cranberry and Blueberry and need 1 minute longer until well incoporated.  Even though wet it should have the feel of regular white or french style bread.  Do not over knead.

Oil your hand, take the dough and roll it into the middle several times until you have a smooth ball.  Place in a well oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in warm spot 2-3 hours until doubled in size.  

Remove and punch down the dough, knead a couple of times then roll into it to create a tight smooth ball (called a boule).  At this point in time you can do one of two things.  First is let it rise to bake now or allow it to sit refrigerated overnight to develop a stronger "sour" taste.  

Bake now.  Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500F.  Take the freshly kneaded bread, and flatten out.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, then reform the ball by rolling it into itself.  Place the newly formed boule on a piece of parchment paper cut to about 1" wider than the boule. Cover and allow to rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.  When double slash top with a razor blade or cut with sharp scissors a series of gashes.  Brush dough with water and sprinkle on the salt of choice.

Place the boule on its paper in the oven on the pizza stone.  Reduce heat to 350F and bake 60-75 minutes until golden brown and instant read thermometer reads 210F.

Bake Later:  Return the boule to the oiled bowl and place in refrigerator overnight.  Remove and give it a quick knead and flatten out.  Sprinkle with cinnamon then reform the boule by rolling itself into the middle until a tight smooth ball forms.  

Place the newly formed boule on a piece of parchment paper cut to about 1" wider than the boule. Cover and allow to rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size. When double slash top with a razor blade or cut with sharp scissors a series of gashes.  Brush dough with water and sprinkle on the salt of choice.  Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500F.  Place the boule on its paper in the oven on the pizza stone.  Reduce heat to  350F and bake 60-75 minutes until golden brown and instant read thermometer reads 210F.