Tag: #blueberries
Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

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Yikes!  Before blueberry season ends, make this Blueberry Cornmeal Tart.  From Alison Roman’s Sweet Enough, an easy, absolutely delicious way to take advantage of fresh blueberries. But before we get into the recipe and my notes…I need to address the elephant in the room.  Yes at one time I was ready to burn my Alison Roman cookbooks.  In an interview, she decided to DIS Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo as “sell-outs” for hawking products, while encouraging folks to buy her stuff. LOL  Interestingly enough she called out two POC women.  Backlash ensued, she lost her column in the New York Times, had a Twitter squirmish with Chrissy, which she lost, and felt the ire of many POC foodies.  She laid low for a while, started back, and is now back in the good graces of most.

She recovered, but will probably always be under the microscope. Occasionally, controversy rears its head in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t way.  She made a dish, called it Gentle Lentils (LOL), and got called out for Appropriating Daal, an Indian staple. What are you going to do? 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Her personality is up my alley, a bit tongue-in-cheek, snarky, funny AND she is fond of expletives, just like me.

Yes, Another Cookbook

She came out with a dessert book and I caved.  I have made her dessert recipes and they are pretty darn good.  I believe she originally worked in pastry.  Her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies went viral one year (pre-fallout) and are really good. They’re buttery, sandy, chocolatey, and sweet with a surprise pop of salt.  It hits every taste bud, and has a crispy edge from the demerara sugar finish.

This Blueberry Cornmeal Tart couldn’t be easier.  The crust and crumble topping are made from the same dough.  Butter, flour, and powdered sugar go into the dough. The powdered sugar lowers the flour’s protein content to help with tenderness.  Cornmeal adds that characteristic cornmeal crunch to the crust and crumble.  I am not a fan of the grittiness of stone-ground cornmeal.  Luckily, cornmeal comes in a wide range of textures and grinds.  I love the cornmeal from a local family farm in the Bay Area, Tierra Vegetables.  They have an array of heirloom cornmeals that are amazing.  My favorite is the Hopi Pink Cornmeal which is finely textured and adds just a tiny bit of crunch.  It’s perfect in Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies where you can see the reddish pink flecks in the cookies, so cool.  Use the cornmeal you like.

The Steps

Betcha think the next instruction is to roll the dough out.  Nope, there is no rolling involved in the making of this tart.  Yay.  Reserve a quarter of the dough for the crumble and put it in the fridge to chill. Press the remaining dough into a 9-inch tart pan.  How easy is that?

The blueberries are mixed with a bit of sugar and either vinegar or lemon juice, I prefer lemon juice, I am a citrus kinda gal.   Flour rounds out the filling to act as a thickener and that’s it.

Pour your blueberry mixture into the tart pan and spread evenly over crust.  Press little bits of the dough to form little clumps and sprinkle these over the blueberries.  Bake on a sheet to save yourself from oven cleaning.

Bake until the crumble and crust are a nice golden brown and the blueberries bubbling.  Remove to a rack and let it cool completely before removing.  Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla…cause that’s how we roll!  Enjoy!

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Blueberry Cornmeal TartI

From Alison Roman's Sweet Enough, a simple, absolutely delicious Blueberry Cronmeal Tart
Course Dessert, Pie, Tart
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry, cornmeal, tart

Ingredients

For the Crust & Topping

  • 1 ½ cups /225g all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup /55 grams cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup /50 grams confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup /55 grams light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon / 4 grams baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon / 3 grams kosher salt
  • ¾ cup /170 grams unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled slightly

For the Filling

  • 1 pound /455 grams blueberries or combination of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
  • ½ cup /110 grams light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons / 28 grams apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon or lime juice I prefer lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons / 18 grams all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Make the crust and topping: Preheat oven to 350°.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted butter, then use your hands or a wooden spoon to combine ingredients until a coarse dough comes together, with a few dry spots.
  • Press 3/4 of the cornmeal mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom making sure the mixture is evenly pressed on the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. (Using something large and flat, like the bottom of a measuring cup, will be helpful.) Place the shell on a rimmed baking sheet; pop the tart shell and remaining mixture into the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

  • Toss blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the fruit into the crust.
  • Crumble the remaining cornmeal mixture over the blueberries, pressing bits of the mixture together into large clumps as you go, as you would with a crisp or coffee-cake topping (note that it won’t cover the top entirely, more just create a nice sporadic covering, still allowing the blueberries and their juices to poke through).
  • Bake tart until the blueberry filling is bubbly and thickened, and both the crust and top are nicely browned, 50–55 minutes.
  • Let tart cool completely before slicing into triangles and serving. The tart can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature or refrigerated (especially if your kitchen is hot or humid).
  • EAT WITH: vanilla ice cream would be too obvious, but I don’t care.

Notes

DO AHEAD: tart can be baked 4 days ahead, stored wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or refrigerated. 
Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

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I know, I know…I already have a few showstopper blueberry muffin recipes on 3Jamigos but I just found another one!  From Zoe Bakes, her Blueberry Muffin with Crumble Topping.  The crumble and a touch of lemon sets this muffin apart.  They’re delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.  During blueberry season, which happens to be right now, I head to our farmer’s market to load up on the tiny blue orbs.  First, I eat some out of hand when I return from the market.  Then I save some for fruit salads or a favorite spinach salad with hazelnuts, and avocado dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.  A portion gets frozen to be enjoyed later in the year.  But ultimately, the berries end up in baked goodies- there’s Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, Blueberry Hand Pies, Blueberry Cornmeal Cobbler,  Blueberry Cornmeal Mochi Cake… I feel like Bubba Gump, you get the picture.  I’m blue without blueberries.  Search blueberries on 3jamigos.com and a plethora of recipes will pop up.

 Zoe of All Trades

If by chance you aren’t familiar with Zoe Francois, let me fangirl about her for a moment.  Zoe is based out of Minneapolis.  She started in a different career but ultimately pivoted to food, working as a pastry chef and co-writing cookbooks.  Her easy, friendly, personable style , million-dollar smile and great dessert recipes have given rise to cookbooks, videos, and a TV show.  I love her show, which is filled with great tips, techniques, and ideas.  It also highlights the folks and local businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  I have a soft spot for the Twin Cities having visited often (even in the winter) when Jamie lived there.  Her book, Zoe Bakes, sits on my frequent flyer bookshelf on my island and I can’t wait until her next book, Zoe’s Cookies, comes out in September.

How the Muffin Crumbles

As much as I love Hummingbird High’s Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins, my family is crumble-crazy.  There was never a question if we would make Zoe’s muffins, the question was when.  With blueberry season in full swing, the time was now.  I brought home a quart of blueberries from my favorite purveyor, Triple Delight, and set upon making these muffins.

Make the crumble first as it needs to chill a bit, toss it in the fridge while making the batter.  The crumble is a little on the sweet side, maybe I’ll add nuts next time and a pinch of salt. It’s a classic crumble topping, butter, and brown sugar with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Work the butter in with a pastry blender or your fingers, it should look like coarse lumpy sand.  Stash it in the fridge.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and yolk along with the vanilla and combine well.  It may look slightly curdled but will smooth out after adding the dry ingredients.  Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during the process.  It makes a difference.

Add flour mixture with sour cream or buttermilk in two portions.  Do not overmix.  The batter will be fairly thick and stiff.   Finally, fold the blueberries into the batter by hand to avoid crushing the berries.

I love these tulip-shaped muffin tin liners but traditional cupcake papers will work too. Use an ice cream scoop (#20) to portion the batter into a muffin tin.  Sprinkle the chilled crumble equally over the batter.

Bake the muffins until golden brown on the edges.  The middle will be lighter than the edges.  Remove from oven, serve warm.  Enjoy!

While blueberries are in season make these muffins.  They can also be made with frozen blueberries.  Do not thaw, fold the frozen berries into the batter.

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Blueberry Muffins

A tender, fine crumb muffin studded with sweet blueberries and topped with a buttery crumble topping. Perfection from Zoe Bakes
Course Breakfast, Muffins, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, Blueberry Muffins, muffins, streusel, zoe bakes
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour bleached or unbleached will work 60g
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar well packed 125g
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 57g

Muffins

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups spoon and sweep 240g all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)* Use 210gm if using KA flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Cream Mixture

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 86g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar 30g
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg room temperature
  • 1 yolk room temperature

Liquid Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk crème fraîche or yogurt work too! 135g
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries** 175g
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until it turns into uniform clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Prepare regular muffin tins with 7 LARGE liners. (You can bake regular sized muffins by dividing it into 12)
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  • Cream the butter, sugars and zest together on medium speed, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing on low just until combined. It may seem a bit curdled, because it is a lot of liquid to add to that amount of butter. It will all come together in the end.
  • Add half the flour and half the sour cream. Mix on low until combined. Add the remaining flour and sour cream.
  • Toss the blueberries with flour and if using frozen berries immediately fold them into the batter with two or three gentle stirs. If you over mix, the batter will turn purple and then gray. Scoop into the muffin liners.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out with moist, but not wet, crumbs. If you are baking smaller muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If you use King Arthur Baking all-purpose flour, your muffins will not be as soft and fluffy, because it has more protein, so use a few tablespoons less.**If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until the last minute.
These muffins can be frozen. Thaw them out and reheat in a warm oven for about 10 minutes to serve.
Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

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My first stop at the farmers market is the blueberry stand.  I love those little blue gems and find myself adding them to salads, eating them out of hand, and feeding them to Moose (Jamie’s dog, not actual moose).  But my favorite thing?  Baking blueberry pastries like snacking cakes, hand pies, cobblers, and of course, MUFFINS!  A couple of weeks ago I made Smitten Kitchen’s Blueberry Muffins, easy and pretty darn tasty BUT I just found another recipe and it might just beat out SK’s (sorry Deb).  From Michelle Lopez’s blog, Hummingbird High, her version of Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffins.  Bursting with blueberries, tender, and a bit cakier in texture,  with a fine crumb texture and a fantastic crunchy top.

If her version of Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffin is any indication of the scrumptiousness of Levain Bakery’s pastries-I am making a beeline there when I am in New York (which will be soon since I now have a kid living there-oh happy day).  I hear they have a decent Chocolate Chip Cookie too, lol.  This muffin is so good it prompted me to pull out her cookbook (of course I have it-Silly), Weeknight Baking.  Her recipes are easy to follow and she provides detailed info, even a novice baker will be successful.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Pros and Cons

The Smitten Kitchen muffin gets the nod for quick and easy.  Melt butter and stir all the ingredients together.  How simple is that?  While good right after they come out of the oven, they tend to fall off the scrumptious curve quickly.  SK’s suggestion is to split, toast, and butter day-old muffins, I agree.

The batter is not as stiff or thick as SK’s batter but dense enough so the blueberries do not sink to the bottom.

Her homage to Levain Bakery’s muffin is delicious.  The muffins are moist, bursting with blueberries, and tender, thanks to the addition of almond flour.  The top is crunchy from the generous sprinkling of sugar which is crunchier if you use raw sugar.  With crispy edges and a classic pointy dome, it is an impressive muffin.  But, it is a bit more work than the SK version.  Butter is creamed with sugar and the batter should rest an hour before baking.  So if you are looking for a freshly baked morning treat..get up early for this blueberry bad boy.  The cake part of the muffin holds up well but the top loses its crunch after a day.  I use paper liners because…well, I’m lazy.  The original recipe does not use paper and notes that it changes the outside texture.  What are ya gonna do? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m keeping both muffin recipes in my repertoire, a quick fix muffin and the out-to-impress late-morning Sunday Brunch muffin. After all, you should always be prepared!  Make either of these recipes, they are guaranteed to chase away the blues-berries.

Mine did not have the super domed peak but that may be because I did not fill the muffin tin as much as Hummingbird High’s.  I ended up with 11 muffins.  Fill for 9 to get the domed top.  But they’re still “purdy” and tasty.

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Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins

From Hummingbird High, fabulous blueberry muffins, her take on NYC's Levain Bakery
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Blueberry Muffins, Hummingbird High, Levain Bakery
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 9 ounces or 255 grams
  • ½ cup almond meal or almond flour 1.75 ounces or 50 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature 4 ounces or 113 grams
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 7 ounces or 198 grams
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 ounces or 113 grams
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, at room temperature 13 ounces or 369 grams
  • For the Garnish
  • 9 teaspoons granulated sugar If you want more crunch use raw or turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and the vanilla. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one is fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
  • With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts. Start & end with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Take ½ cup of the blueberries and crush them with your hands so they are juicy; add to the batter and increase the mixer speed to high for 5 to 10 seconds to break up the berries to release their juices a bit more.
  • Reduce the mixer to low and add the rest of the berries, mixing until incorporated evenly throughout the batter, another 30 seconds.
  • Rest the batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • While the batter is resting, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400℉ using the convect setting (if possible).
  • Prepare two muffin tins by spraying the inside and border of every other cavity in the muffin tin generously with cooking spray. I have USA pans that are non-stick, so I didn't to spray and the muffins were easy t remove.
  • Use a 1-Tablespoon or 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to fill each sprayed cavity with 6 tablespoons of the batter. It will be a ot of batter in each. The first muffin tin will have six cavities filled, whereas the second muffin will have three cavities filled.
  • For the second muffin tin, pour water into every other cavity to mimic the placement of the batter in the first muffin tin. Sprinkle the top of each cavity, aiming for the batter and avoiding the pan, with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar each. Don't skimp! It helps the top form.
  • Bake each muffin tin for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and golden brown around the edges. A skewer inserted into the center of a muffin should come out with a few crumbs attached.
  • Cool the muffins in their muffin tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use an offset spatula to run underneath the edges of the blueberry muffin tops to prevent them from sticking in the pan. Be careful to just run the offset spatula under the edges—you don't want to accidentally cut into the muffin bottom and decapitate the muffin from its top!
  • After unsticking the muffin tops, keep cooling the muffins in the tins completely to room temperature. DO NOT TRY AND TURN THE MUFFINS OUT WHILE THEY ARE STILL WARM. Because these muffins are so top-heavy, you'll run the risk of accidentally pulling the tops and bottoms apart if the cake is still warm! Wait until they are cooled completely before turning them out of the pan. Run the offset spatula underneath each muffin top once more and gently tilt the muffin upwards to turn it out of the pan.
  • Serve and store. Serve at room temperature. The muffins are best on the day that they're made, but can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Blueberry Almond Cake
Do You Really Want to Feed Me? Food52 Club Blueberry Cake with Almond & Cinnamon

Do You Really Want to Feed Me? Food52 Club Blueberry Cake with Almond & Cinnamon

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For all you Boy George Fans, my title nod to the 80’s.  Have I mentioned the Food52 Cookbook Club?  I’m sure I have.  From the geniuses at Food52, a Facebook group that features a cookbook each month.  A cynic might say “what a great marketing idea!”.  Ok, it is, but it is actually a wonderful way to share insights and critiques on a book.  By the end of each month, you have a pretty darn good idea which recipes are winners and which are not so great or need some tweaking. Photos for each recipe and a comment or two posted by members…invaluable.  I literally have cookbooks I have never made a single thing from but when Food52 features it, I’m trying recipes from the book like a crazy person.

This month’s selection is Dining In by Alison Roman.  I had picked up a copy awhile back at a cute indie bookstore, Leigh’s Favorite Books in Sunnyvale.  Aside from one fantabulous cookie recipe (click on the link to find out which cookie, I’m so evil) I already have thanks to Bon Appetit’. I didn’t see anything I felt compelled to try.  I shoved the book on a shelf and forgot about it.

Until, of course, it became this month’s featured Food52 Cookbook Club book.

My pictures don’t do justice to this Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon, but the requests for the recipe had me expediting this post.  Made for a happy hour postcard writing session (democracy in action), this cake was the star of the evening. Make it now while sweet, plump, blueberries can still be found at the Farmer’s Market.

This cake is hands down delicious.  Buttery, tender, not too sweet with a nice crunch from the sprinkling of sugar on top and a hint of spice from the cinnamon.  Hmmm, it’s dreamy. The recipe calls for both almond flour and all-purpose flour.  Despite not having any liquid the cake is very tender, actually surprisingly so.  I’m thinking its the almond flour.  Costco has a nice, reasonably priced almond flour.  Whole Foods has Bob’s Red Mill, nice, not so reasonably priced.  Don’t confuse it with almond meal which is not ground fine enough.

Another key to this recipe, beating the butter until it is nice and fluffy.  This aerates the batter adding to its tenderness.  I was surprised at how difficult it was to incorporate the flour mixture into the batter.  I dumped all of it in at once.  Next time I might try dividing the flour mixture and mixing it in a portion at a time.  The almond flour is a bit heavier than reg flour so use the fold method, like folding egg whites into a batter.  Don’t overdo it. The book has a teeny eeny mistake, it lists 2 cups of blueberries in the ingredients but calls for only 1-1/2 cups in the directions.  Just use 1-1/2 cups of berries, that’s plenty. If you are a blueberry-holic, toss the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the batter before sprinkling the sugar on top.

The cake does not rise significantly.  I baked it in a springform, but you could use a tart pan.  But in all honesty, I didn’t want to chance it…too many overflow experiences have caused me to be rather cautious.  I also tried a Honey Yogurt Pound Cake with Raspberries-yummy-ga-nummies. TBP (To be posted) soon.

So, get thee to the Farmer’s Market or grocers, buy some berries and bake this cake.  You’re welcome.  This book is not just a dessert book and judging by the posts on the Food52 page, I’ll be diving into the savory recipes soon.  I’ll get back to you when I do.

By the way, there is a Food52 Baking Club too, if you’re wondering…

Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon

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Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon

Ingredients

  • Nonstick spray for the pan
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ cup 1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan or round cake pan with nonstick spray.
  • Whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Using an electric mixer, in a medium bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is super light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated, followed by the vanilla. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and nearly doubled in volume, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold in the almond mixture until no dry spots remain. Gently add 1½ cups of the blueberries by hand, making sure you don’t totally smush them.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared tart pan and, using a spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar on top and bake until the cake is deeply golden brown and pulls away from the edges slightly, 30 to 35 minutes. It should start to crackle a bit on top (what you’re looking for).
  • Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The cake can be baked 4 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature.
Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

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I am a big fan of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, the photos are mouthwatering and every dish I have tried has been delicious.  My favorite book is Jerusalem and not just for the recipes and photos but it’s premise. Two men who grew up in opposite ends of Jerusalem, one Jewish, one Arab create wonderful food together.

In today’s America we seem so divided…we should just have a ginormous potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. The rule would be bring a dish your grandmother or your grandfather made for you.  Can you imagine that table?  It would be filled with dishes from every corner of the world.  Hard to hate on someone sharing a bowl of their grandmother’s mandu or kreplach. Mean words to a guy who hands you a plate of brisket perfectly smoked the way his dad taught him?  I hope not.  Food soothes the soul, heals the heart and sways the mind.

A girl can dream right?

A couple of weeks ago Ottolenghi posted a recipe in his New York Times column that looked absolutely scrumptious.  A Blueberry Lemon Almond Loaf.  Lucky for me I have a lemon tree in my garden (an endless supply of lemons makes me happy) and had ripe, sweet blueberries from my trip to the farmers market over the weekend.

Buttery goodness is brightened by lemon zest, with a generous amount of blueberries, and finished with a zingy lemon icing. Yep, making cake, then eating cake.

The batter comes together quickly. The addition of almond flour produces a tender crumb. The only glitch I encountered was adding a reserved portion of blueberries to the batter after 15 minutes in the oven.  At this point, the top of the loaf was brown and pretty set. I ended up throwing the blueberries on top and pushing them down-with a bit of success. Next time I’d check the loaf earlier and throw the berries on a bit earlier so they sink into the batter a bit. I love lemon so I pumped up the amount of lemon zest in the cake and added some to the icing. Bake this cake it’s lemonlicious and bluerrific.

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Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake from Ottolenghi. Buttery, filled with citrus flavor
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Apple Cake, blueberry, lemon, ottolenghi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes

Ingredients

Ottolenghi New York Times Cooking

Creamed Mixture

  • 11 tbsp 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons(150 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
  • 1 scant cup (190 grams) granulated or superfine sugar caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs beaten

Dry Mixture

  • ⅔ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour plain flour, sifted
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour finely ground almonds
  • 1 ½ cups (200 grams) fresh blueberries Split into scant 1 cup for the batter and 3/8 cup for top of cake

The Finish

  • ⅔ cup (70 grams) confectioners’ sugar icing sugar, powdered
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more juice as needed)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9- or 8-inch/21-centimeter loaf pan with butter, line it with a parchment paper sling and butter the paper. Set the pan aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour. Set aside.
  • Place butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light, then lower speed to medium. Add eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as necessary. The mix may split (look curdled) a little but don’t worry: It’ll come back together once you add the dry ingredients.
  • With the stand mixer on low, add the reserved dry ingredient mixture in three additions, mixing just until no dry specks remain. Fold in about 3/4 of the blueberries by hand, then scoop batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake. Check the cake at the 10 minuteReturn to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cake is golden brown but still uncooked. Cover loosely with foil and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes (less for a 9-inch pan, more for an 8-inch pan), or until risen and cooked, and a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and set aside in its pan to cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • When cake is cool, make the icing: Add lemon juice and icing sugar to a bowl and whisk together until smooth, adding a bit more juice if necessary, just until the icing moves when you tilt the bowl. Pour over the cake and gently spread out. The blueberries on the top of the cake may bleed into the icing a little, but this will add to the look.
  • Let icing set (about 30 minutes), slice and serve.

My Tweaks

  • I added another teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter and 1/2 teaspoon of zest to the icing. I ❤️ lemon
  • I did not use all the icing, I drizzled the icing on instead. Not a big fan of lots of icing.