It’s been a bit cooler than normal in my neck of the woods. But last Saturday was one of those perfectly beautiful days. I had a list of things to do inside, but I put them aside. I grabbed my bags and headed out to enjoy the weather at my local farmer’s market.
I love walking through the aisles, talking with the vendors and seeing what goodies I can find. The market was bursting with blueberries so I picked up a few pints. Depending on where you live, May – August is prime blueberry picking season. Now what to make?
Maybe I’ll add Kelly Gonnelly’s (Fort Plain, NY) Honey Blueberry Stuffed French Toast to my morning menu. “I created this recipe using the flavors of blueberry and honey,” shares Kelly. “The mascarpone cheese adds great texture to the inside of each slice.”
With a honey nut crunch and the sweetness of the blueberries and cheese, there’s nothing not to love about this creative french toast.
Not overly sweet, Laurie Lenartowicz’s (Livingston, TN) Blueberry BFF Coffee Cake has just the right amount of sugar and is perfect with a cup of coffee.
“The sour cream makes this coffee cake super moist and the blueberries are just bursting with flavor,” explains Laurie. “My neighbor’s husband had her call me for the recipe saying that he declared ‘This is the best stuff I have ever eaten.'” Bring this to a potluck or have on hand for guests and I guarantee you’ll suddenly find yourself with a lot of friends.
Another one of my favorite coffee cake recipes is Darci Juris’s (Scottsdale, AZ) Bang’n Blueberry Coffee Cake. “After trying several different combinations, I have finally created the best blueberry coffee cake recipe ever,” thinks Darci. “This cake is so moist, with tidbits of sweet crunch from the streusel, and a layer of gooey blueberry goodness.”
One of the reasons I love coffee cake is it’s great any time of day. Great for a weekend breakfast, a nice side dish at brunch or even a simple dessert (maybe add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if having for dessert). The blueberry syrup packs one punch of blueberry flavor in this recipe that’s out of this world.
“This pie is awesome – part of my mom’s recipe and an idea from a bakery I ate at,” shares FH Browne (Ridgefield, WA). “You have the blueberry in a creamy paste, then whole blueberries, and chunks of fresh rhubarb.”
When reading FH’s description of his RB’s BluBarb Pie my mouth was watering. And after one bite, it’ll have your taste buds doing one happy dance too. A bit sweet and a tad tart, I just love this pie. When you get a whole blueberry in a bite, it’s a burst of flavor.
“Fresh blueberry pie is one of my seasonal favorites,” says Tara Guthrie (Sanford, NC). Fresh blueberries are delish in most anything, and they’re especially good in Tara’s Fresh Blueberry Pie.
It’s baked perfectly with just the right balance of sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the blueberries and lemon. Using a prepared crust makes this super easy to whip up. Topped with some freshly whipped cream, you have one delightful dessert.
If you’re at the market this weekend, or will be venturing out to pick your own, see what recipe you can come up with using a pint of blueberries… And don’t forget to share the recipe. Happy Pinching!