Blueberry Crumb Cake

I love this time of year when blueberries are sold in enormous quantities far beyond the amount any one household could eat before they start to rot. There are only two solutions for this kind of berry-overload: freezing and baking! This summer I have been trying to bake with blueberries at every opportunity. This recipe, which is adapted from the barefoot contessa, was so good that I actually made 2 of them in the past week. People love it when you show up at their house with a piece of cake, it will make them smile every time.

For streusel:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
1 1/3 cups flour

For cake:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Confectioner's sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For streusel:
In a bowl combine white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add melted butter and then add the flour. Mix everything together until crumbly. Set aside

For cake:
Cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on high speed for about 4 minutes. Adjust mixer speed to low and then add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream while continuing to mix on low speed.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine on low speed until texture is consistent. Turn off mixer.

Fold in blueberries gently with a spatula, taking care that everything is well mixed.

Spoon the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly with the spatula. Crumble the topping with your hands evenly over the cake batter surface. Bake around 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top. Great served with coffee or ice cream!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Moving forward on the baking revolution, this weekend I made another delicious fruit bread inspired by the seasonal delight of blueberries.

3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2 cups zucchini (shredded)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 5x9 in baking pans. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold the zucchini into this mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat until texture is consistent. Gently fold in fresh blueberries. Pour into baking pans.

Bake for about 90 minutes, checking occasionally. Bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool about 20 minutes before turning out from pan. Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

As a child, rice pudding was a special treat that I'd get on trips to the diner with whipped cream, cinnamon, and sometimes even vanilla ice cream. I never got over this creamy, luscious confection, but it remained a memory of youth rather than a present pleasure. And then, a few nights ago I had a craving for something sweet but had no money to go out and buy anything. Upon inspection of my meager kitchen supplies, I discovered that there was one thing I could make with only ingredients I already had. And it turned out to be the perfect dessert.

2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon

Start by combining rice, milk, water, and salt in a saucepan. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When liquid starts to boil, move saucepan to low heat, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes. Be sure to stir periodically so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Add extra water as needed for consistency and rice tenderness.

In a separate bowl, beat an egg and mix in the brown and white sugar. When the rice mixture has reached the desired consistency, remove from heat. Add spoonfuls of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly until the egg mixture is hot. (This is an important step, if you add the cold egg directly to the hot rice, it may curdle on contact, so heat the egg mixture gradually and with constant beating.) Now add the hot egg/sugar/rice mixture back into the larger rice pan. Place back on low heat and stir for a few minutes. Add vanilla and butter and stir until melted.

Serve either hot or cold with cinnamon sprinkled on top.