The Pajama Chef

This dessert is a great way to enjoy fresh blueberries during the summertime!

If I had to pick, nine times out of ten I would choose a fruit dessert over a chocolate dessert. The other time? If it was a PEANUT BUTTER and chocolate dessert, like these yummy bars. So addicting! But back to fruit. I’d had never really heard of the dessert called a ‘buckle’ until recently, but when I got a great deal on fresh Michigan blueberries, I knew I had to try it out.

From what I could tell, its basically a crumb-topped blueberry coffee cake. Serious Eats gets a little more technical and explains: “A buckle is a popular New England dessert that’s made by adding berries or sliced fruit to a single layer of cake batter. During baking, the fruit sinks and the cake emerges from the oven with a “buckled” appearance.” Well, I’m not sure my berries sank quite as much as they were supposed to since I floured them before folding them in, but nevertheless, this dessert is out of this world amazing!

The crumbs! The juicy berries! Whatever you do, use sweet, fresh, juicy blueberries for this treat. There isn’t much sugar so the berries really shine. We’ve been enjoying our Blueberry Buckle all week long as a light dessert, and think we’ll fancy it up tonight with some homemade vanilla ice cream. I can’t even imagine how good that’s going to be. Crumb streusel + ice cream + blueberries has got to equal fabulous, I’m sure. You can’t go wrong with this, so I hope you enjoy!

P.S. So, Saturday was my three year blogiversary! I celebrated by doing nothing, haha. But I’m going to start linking back to my old recipes to bring ’em back to life. It’s crazyville to consider that I’ve been blogging here for THREE YEARS!! It’s true. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

a year ago: Mango Coconut Granola
two years ago: Lavender-Lime Scones
three years ago: Enchilada Sauce

Blueberry Buckle [from Martha Stewart]
click to print

Ingredients:

for cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened + more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour + more for pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 5 cups blueberries, patted dry and sprinkled lightly with flour

Mrs. Kostrya’s Streusel Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan, then set aside.

In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed. Reduce speed to low and beat in egg and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary.

Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to bowl, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remove from mixer and fold in blueberries. Pour into prepared pan and set aside.

Prepare streusel topping by stirring together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in vanilla and butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until streusel is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then release the sides and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before cutting.

Time: 90 minutes.

Yield: 16 servings.

Linked up with: Foodie Friday, Friday Food Frenzy, and Weekend Potluck.