Blueberry Crumb Bars!

Hello, everybody!

How's your summer going?

Anyone have any New England vacation plans,
or already have one under your belt?...

If so, please share them with us!

And for those of you who don't have anything planned,
yet still are craving a taste of our beloved region, fear no more-

The quickest way to get a taste is to find a regional recipe!

And I just so happen to have the perfect one for you ♥ . . .

Blueberry Crumb Bars!

This recipe hails from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and is

featured in Gooseberry Patch's Country Baking Cookbook.

Don't judge simply by the picture- believe me- it tasted much better

than it looked! Think of it as a buttery crusted blueberry pie, only 

in bar-form, and much easier to make. Sounds like a winner to me!

Ingredients

1 c. plus 1/2 c. sugar, divided

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1 c. shortening

1 egg

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. cinnamon

4 c. blueberries

3 t. cornstarch

Instructions

Mix together one cup sugar, flour, baking powder, shortening, egg, salt and cinnamon.

Mix well with pastry cutter or fork; dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough

into a greased 13"x9" pan (I used a 9"x9" pan which worked just as well!).

Mix together blueberries, remaining sugar and cornstarch. Place mixture into

pan over dough. Crumble remaining dough over berries. Bake at 375 

degrees for 45 minutes or until top is slightly brown. Makes 12-15 bars.

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Bon apetit!

♥

July is Blueberry Month!

Did you know that July is 

National Blueberry Month?

(and my birthday month! but that's besides the point.)

Blueberries are a New England staple. Let's face it -

they grow in abundance here! The very first successful

domestication of this fruit was achieved in none other than

Greenfield, New Hampshire! I don't think you can find a 

single New England cookbook that doesn't contain at least

three blueberry recipes. And as a way to affirm this proclamation, 

I've come prepared to share three of them right now!

(Tips: when acquiring blueberries for any of these recipes,

keep in mind, the tastiest blueberries are the darker, plumper kind! 
Any blueberry displaying a hint of red indicates they've not quite
ripened yet. And please, stay away from any shriveled or wrinkled 
looking ones- that likely means they've passed their peak.)

image courtesy of The Mess Pot

Blueberry Boy Bait

(this recipe is certified to hook a guy with one bite!)

Ingredients

    2 cups flour
    1-1/2 cups sugar [you can use as little as 1]
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    pinch of salt
    2/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 cup milk
    2 eggs
    2 to 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
    1 cup (or less) sugar [you can use as little as 2 or 3 tablespoons]
    1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl mix the first 7 ingredients with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan if using wild blueberries, 9x9-inch if using large blueberries.
4. Arrange the blueberries on top (up to 3 cups for wild berries or 2 cups for large), then mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the batter.
5. Bake 45-50 minutes for 9x13-inch baking pan, or an hour for 9x9-inch pan. Baking times may vary, so check the cake for when it is golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

© Yankee Magazine

Blueberry-Stuffed French Toast

(recipe courtesy of the Inn on Golden Pond

in Holderness, New Hampshire)

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
    12 slices white bread
    1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries
    12 eggs
    2 cups milk
    1/3 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Thickly spread cream cheese on 6 slices of white bread. 
2. Place bread (cream cheese side up) on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 
3. Evenly distribute blueberries on top of the bread. 
4. Cube the remaining 6 slices of white bread and sprinkle over the blueberries. 
5. Combine eggs, milk, and maple syrup and mix well. Pour this mixture over bread cubes. 
6. Refrigerate overnight.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (1/2 hour covered with aluminum foil, 1/2 hour uncovered). 
8. Serve with maple syrup.

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Looking to pick your own wild New England blueberries?
Check out these links here:

Maine Blueberry Picking

 New Hampshire Blueberry Picking

Vermont Blueberry Picking

♥