Blueberry Syrup
Makes 2 cups.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
How To:
- In a heavy medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups blueberries, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water.
- Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
- Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
- Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Blueberry Muffins by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients:
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 half-pint fresh blueberries picked through stems
How To:
- preheat oven to 350 degrees, place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- With mixer on low speed, add eggs one at a time, and add vanilla, sour cream, and milk.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- with mixer on slow speed add the flour mixture to batter and beat until mixed.
- Fold in the blueberries with a spatula, making sure batter is completely mixed
- scoop batter into muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top
- bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out cleans
(the bakers at Barefoot Contessa use an ice-cream scoop to measure the batter so that every muffin comes out the same size)
(Greasing the tops of the pans makes it easier to take the muffins out)
Blueberry-Banana Bread
Original Submitted Linda Tebben, Menlo Park, CA
This version is excellent spread with cream cheese.
Prep and cook time: about 1-1/4 hours, plus 45 minutes to cool
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained, or frozen blueberries
- 2 cups plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3)
- ½ cup low-fat buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- Oatmeal streusel (recipe follows)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, gently mix blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour.
- In another bowl, blend remaining 2 cups flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a third large bowl, whisk bananas, buttermilk, butter, and egg to blend. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until evenly moistened; the batter will be stiff. Gently stir in blueberry mixture.
- Spread batter level in a buttered 5- x 9-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with oatmeal streusel and press in lightly.
- Bake bread in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.
- Let bread cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert bread onto a plate, remove pan, and turn over onto rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Streusel. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup each all-purpose flour, regular rolled oats, and chopped pecans or walnuts; 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix with your fingers until fine crumbs form.