Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Ohmygosh.  These were just too good.  This is my new all time favorite pancake recipe ever.  When I say these melt in your mouth, they literally MELT IN YOUR MOUTH.   Your fork will cut through them like butter. They are incredibly soft, fluffy, and full of flavor.  Most basic pancake recipes are pretty tasteless besides the add-ins you put in them, but this batter - even without the blueberries - has a wonderful sweet and salty taste that seriously tastes like not only the the best pancakes you'll ever have, but the best cornbread as well.  If you were to take the cornbread taste of this pancake, and put it into an actual, thicker, baked pan of cornbread, that pan of cornbread would be the bomb!  I served this recipe with my buttermilk syrup (here) and it was absolutely to die for.  My family all agrees that I have to make it again very soon.  Aaaand I'm going to request this on my birthday.  Yup...it's that special.  I adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe, and my version is one of those rare recipes where I wouldn't change anything about it.


Yield: about 4 servings (about 1 dozen 5- to 6-inch pancakes)


Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cornmeal

• 1/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

• 1/4 cup milk 

• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for griddle

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 2 cups (1 pint) blueberries

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• Garnish: Buttermilk Syrup and/or pure maple syrup

•                 whipped cream (optional)

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• Instructions:

1. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup white sugar, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter, and egg. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Toss blueberries with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Brush griddle with melted butter. Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Sprinkle with sugared blueberries, about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until edges are set, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Serve with desired syrup(s) and/or whipped cream.

Texas-Style Blueberry Cobbler

Yes...It did overflow a little bit...but it's the taste that counts.

I got an email a few days ago from America's Test Kitchen, and in it was a....(drum roll please)....free recipe!  They never give away free recipes, so I was super excited.  The recipe was for Texas-Style Blueberry Cobbler.  I'm not really sure what makes it "Texas-Style"; maybe the lemon zest?  Lack of vanilla extract?  Who knows.  And I know I already have an awesome Blueberry Cobbler on my blog, but I couldn't resist an America's Test Kitchen recipe.  I knew their recipe had to be better.  And it was.   It was absolutely amazing.  Best cobbler I've ever had.  I'm going to keep my other Blueberry Cobbler recipe (here) because it's still incredibly delicious, and has more of a vanilla flavor.  Where as ATK recipe has a slight hint of lemon, which brings out the blueberry flavor and pairs well with the buttery note.  I made this last night - only I made mine in three ramekins because mine are smaller - and my parents and I ate them so fast I barely had time to get a picture.  This was the perfect dessert for the Fourth of July, because the juices of the blueberries looked reddish-purple, giving the dish a red, white, and blue effect(: The white came from the Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (my new favorite vanilla ice cream). My mom said that she wasn't going to have any because she was full from dinner, but after she had the first bite she immediately changed her mind and gobbled it down.  She said I'm definitely going to make her fat....but I think that's a risk I'm willing to take. ;)

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

You will need two 12-ounce ramekins with straight sides.  If you have the smaller kind, then just divide the tablespoon of butter in thirds and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

Ingredients:

1   tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces,
     plus 2 tablespoons melted and cooled

⅓  cup sugar

½  teaspoon grated lemon zest

1   cup blueberries

½  cup all-purpose flour

¾  teaspoon baking powder

¼  teaspoon salt

⅓  cup whole milk

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Place two 12-ounce ramekins on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and place 1 butter piece in each ramekin. Transfer to oven and heat until butter is melted, about 5 minutes.

2. Mash 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon zest with spoon. In separate bowl, mash together blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar mixture until coarsely mashed.

3. Combine remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in milk and melted butter. Remove sheet pan from oven, transfer to wire rack, and divide batter evenly among ramekins.

4. Dollop blueberry mixture over batter and sprinkle with remaining lemon sugar. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until tops are brown and edges are crisp, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm.  Garnish with vanilla ice cream if desired. 

Blueberry - Coconut - Nut Muffins

Does that picture look yummy or what?  Nutty, sweet and fruity, this muffin bursts with the flavors of the tropics.  The one-two punch of coconut and macadamia nuts in this luxurious muffin will make you think you’re having your morning coffee in > Hawaii <. This recipe was adapted from Eating Well Magazine, and is every bit as delicious as the picture.  I altered it a little based on what I had on hand, and it turned out so amazing.  This was my first time making a really killer blueberry muffin, and I wouldn't change anything about the recipe.  Also, these muffins are surprisingly healthy!  They're made with whole wheat flour, healthy oils, and fresh fruit, so you don't have to feel guilty about eating more than one(: Drizzle them with honey and a dollop of whipped cream for an added touch of sweetness.


Make Ahead Tip: Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30-45 seconds.

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup sweetened coconut; 

2 tbsp plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided; 

2 tbsp plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided; 

5 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts (or any other nuts of your preference), divided;

2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil, divided; 

1 cup whole-wheat flour; 

1 tsp baking powder; 

1/4 tsp baking soda; 

1/8 tsp salt; 

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 

1 large egg; 

1 large egg white; 

3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk (regular is fine too); 

2 tbsp butter, melted; 

1/2 tsp coconut or vanilla extract (I used vanilla, but I wish I had coconut!!); 

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (make sure they're not wet, or they will sink to the bottom)

Garnish/toppings: honey, butter, and/or whipped cream (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine coconut, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut (or vanilla) extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.

4. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.

5.  Serve warm with desired toppings.

Lemon Blueberry Cake Loaf

   

Ohmygoodness this is my new favorite bread...cake...loaf...whatever you wanna call it!  It's just my favorite thing ever.  It tastes like a mix between a coffee cake and a pound cake.  I absolutely LOVED it with coffee for breakfast! It's even better than Starbucks's iced, lemon pound cake! And that's one of my favorite things at Starbucks. The lemon and blueberry flavors in this loaf compliment each other so well, making the it a perfect spring dish.  It's so incredibly moist, and tastes amazingly fresh even up to the third day (it barely lasted that long in my house, though).  Don't use any more blueberries than the recipe states because it's the perfect amount as is.  Try this warm from the oven with whipped cream, and also when it's cooled. For some very strange reason, I thought it tasted best the third day, when I had wrapped a slice in a plastic bag.  Wrapping it made it even more incredibly moist and the texture was just phenomenal.  If I made it again, I would still have a slice warm with whipped cream because I loved that, but I would wrap the rest of the loaf when it's slightly warm and let it sit, wrapped overnight.  This would assure a melt-in-your-mouth, soft, moist, perfect texture and perfect, rich taste.  


Yield: 1 loaf (about 12 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
•  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup powdered

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Combine lemon juice and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl, and pour over warm loaf.   Cool bread in pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.  If you choose to have some when room temperature the next day, then when the loaf is just slightly warm, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let sit overnight.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

 

 

Last night, I was really in the mood for some blueberry cobbler, (and we had fresh blueberries in the fridge)...so I decided to transform it into a bar.  I really wasn't expecting these to be anything special; just something worth trying...and it turned out AMAZING!  I think these may be even better than my blueberry cobbler (here).  These are definitely the best fruit bar I've ever had. Everything about them was just perfect.  A buttery, shortbread like bottom, sweet and juicy blueberries in the middle, and topped with a buttery crumble mixture.  They are wonderfully moist and the crumble mixture doesn't fall of the bars when you cut them, and they're super neat and easy to cut.  I had these warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.  Oh my goodness.  I honestly couldn't stop eating it!!  I swear I ate half a batch on my own (with the addition of ice cream and whipped cream).  They didn't last 24 hours in my house either.  I can't wait to try this recipe with fresh blackberries or raspberries.  I recommend using fresh blueberries for the best taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 4 cups blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 13x9 inch pan.
2. Combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, shortening, and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
3. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the flour and berries. Place mixture over dough in pan. Crumble the remaining dough over the tops of the berries.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until the top is slightly brown.

Blueberry Cobbler

    

  

  

     

This was the easiest dessert recipe I've ever made.  I'm not even kidding you. The hands on time it took me to make this was seriously about 5 minutes.   All I did was throw together some ingredients from cobbler recipes I'm familiar with, and the ingredients are ones that you always have handy in your house. I've made many cobblers, and they always take much more time to prepare, but not this one. I honestly believe a toddler could have made this!  This cobbler has a buttery, cakey topping, slightly crispy around the edges, with the perfect balance of fruit and batter.  The sprinkle of sugar on top is what makes it slightly crisp.   And using fresh berries makes this to-die-for...I definitely recommend that.  I wasn't expecting it to taste that great, since it was so easy, but...wow...just wow.  It was incredible!  My whole family gobbled it up.  It doesn't need toppings, but a dollop ice cream and whipped cream never hurt, right? They get soft and slightly melted on the warm cobbler and soaks right in.  Mmmm...I can't wait to experiment this recipe with more fruits.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan, or 4 ramekins; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.
3. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk and vanilla; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan (or ramekins), then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb. of sugar.
4. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes (about 40-45 mintes if using ramekins). Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream, if desired.

Mashed Banana Toast/Sandwiches

Do you mash or slice your bananas???


I would guess you have probably been slicing them your whole life.  Well, here's something new to try: MASH 'EM! All it does it make it creamy.  It's literally like creating your own banana spread.  Especially if the banana is really ripe...mashing a ripe banana will make it taste way better than a greenish banana (since ripe bananas have more sugar). Did you know that they sell banana peanut butter?  I don't understand why would anyone buy that when you can just make it yourself.  Anyways...instead of your usual peanut butter and sliced banana toast/sandwiches that I'm sure you've been doing for as long as you can remember, just mash the banana!  You can mix other spreads in with the banana if you want to change it up even more.  


Mashed Banana Toast/Sandwich:


Ingredients:
1 slice of bread, toasted   (or 2 for a sandwich)
1/2 to 1 ripe banana (depending how big it is)




Instructions:
Mash the banana as chunky or creamy as you'd like.  Spread mashed banana on hot toast.


***Add a slice of bread on top to make a sandwich if you prefer.  Toasting is optional. 


Variations:  Mix into mashed banana mixture before spreading on top of bread...

• peanut butter
• nutella
• honey
• melted chocolate chips (flavor of your choice)
• cocoa powder
• cinnamon
• blueberries
• almond butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
• chopped or sliced strawberries
• crushed Nilla Wafers
• toffee bits
• coconut flakes
• dash of vanilla extract
• brown sugar (this is very sweet..but delicious)
• chopped nuts of your choice
• grape nuts (or other cereal of your choice.  Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is really good too)
• caramel sauce
• whipped cream
• chocolate sauce/syrup
• pudding
• maple syrup
• jelly 
• yogurt

Melted chocolate chips & banana:

Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, and Banana:

Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate Chunks:

Mashed Banana and Nutella Sandwich:

Almond Butter and Banana:

Spread it on graham crackers!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This is the best coffee cake I've ever had...not to mention incredibly unhealthy.  But it's totally worth it(: This more dense than your usual coffee cakes and has a heavy, moist texture.  The cinnamon swirl gives it a wonderful oomph of spice and sweetness.  Before you taste it, you may say you will just limit yourself to one piece...but I promise, you won't be able to.  It's absolutely divine.  10 stars. This can also be a perfect dish to bring to a Sunday brunch, and everyone will ask for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries
•  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the batter in the pan. Spoon remaining batter over the top, and then sprinkle the remaining pecan mixture over. Use a knife to swirl the sugar layer into the cake.
4. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack. Invert onto a serving plate, and tap firmly to remove from the pan.