Tag Archives: blueberry

Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry Crisp
Blueberry Crisp

There is something about a blueberry crisp that makes me feel like spring has arrived. Blueberries, in general, remind me of spring and summer. But, eating this, hot out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a cool spring night can be blissful. Now, I’m not out to spoil your bliss by telling you that this recipe is a lot lighter and healthier than most crisps or crumbles…but…it is. Hey, I still use some buttah and sugah…so trust me on this…it’s yummy…and blissful!

Blueberry Crisp

 

Blueberry Crisp

Topping
1 C. oats
1/3 C. dark brown sugar
1 T. flour
3 T. ground flaxseed meal
1/4 C. chopped walnuts or pecans
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
dash of fine salt
3 T. butter, softened just a bit

4 C. blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 T. flour
2 – 3 T. dark brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of your blueberries)
zest from 1/2 of a small orange (optional)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a baking dish (use one that is about 8 to 10 inches wide, mine is 10×7 1/2…it won’t make a big difference with this recipe).

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or a large fork, cut the dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss until combined.

Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish. Top with the topping and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top has become golden and crisp and the blueberries are bubbling underneath.

You can allow it to cool a bit before serving…I can never wait! If you’d like, serve with a lower fat vanilla bean ice cream! Bliss.

 

Notes:

  • If your blueberries are frozen, you don’t need to defrost them first. Just use them as is. Frozen berries will give you a bit more watery end result, but I’m OK with that. You can always add another tablespoon of flour to the mixture if you are concerned about that.

 

Blueberry Crisp

 

 

Blueberry Crisp

 

 

Spring Trees
I just wanted to share one more thing that reminds me that spring is finally here…these trees near my home…they make me happy!

 

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Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie…and a Giveaway!

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this recipe. It’s just so good. I started out planning to share my blueberry-banana smoothie recipe, but it just sounded kind of blah and unoriginal. It’s delicious, but I know you don’t need any help from me to make one. So, I stood in front of my spice rack, spinning it back and forth. Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Hmmm…sounds odd in a smoothie, but that’s what I’d use in a blueberry cobbler. For some reassurance, I flipped open my new favorite book, The Flavor Bible. (I love it so much, I’ve included it in my first post about things I love!) I quickly found the blueberry page and my thoughts were confirmed right there in black and white. Cinnamon and nutmeg really do go well with blueberries, in fact, one chef mentioned that he feels cinnamon actually intensifies the flavor of the blueberry. One sip is really all you need to get it. It really is exactly like a blueberry cobbler…in a glass.

We are (self-proclaimed) smoothie aficionados in my house. We make a lot of them. It usually resembles a comedy act though. Run the blender, turn it off. Shake the blender, run the blender. Run the blender and shake the blender. Turn it off. Stir it up. Run the blender and stir it up. Lose a spoon. You know what I’m talking about. Sigh. One day I’ll afford to spend half a week’s salary on a nice blender. Not today. So, the whole point of this drawn out paragraph is that I think the consistency of this smoothie is perfect. The proportions are just right to create a thick and rich texture, but not so thick that you’ll have a replay of the above nonsense.

 

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

1 C. frozen blueberries
1  banana (you can use a frozen one if you’ve got time to fight with your blender)
3/4 C. almond milk
1 T. honey
1 T. golden flaxseed meal
1/2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 t. cinnamon
just a pinch of nutmeg

Throw it all in the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Enjoy. Come back and tell me how much you love me. :D

 

For a chance to win your own copy of The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, see my Things I Love page and click on The Flavor Bible!
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Blueberry Banana Muffins

Blueberry Banana Muffins

I’ve attempted to bake low fat, lower sugar, healthy muffins more times than I’d ever be able to count. I’ve got to tell you, they’ve all been pretty terrible. The texture always seems kind of weird, they tend to be dry, rubbery and they lacked taste.

These were a huge surprise for me…for a few reasons. First, when I initially tasted them, kind of warm…out of the oven, I thought they were sort of dry. Disappointed again. They sat on the counter until completely cooled when my daughter came in from school. As soon as she tried one she commented on how moist it was! I just thought she was being nice. Then my husband tried one and said the same. What? I had to have another! It was moist. Really moist!

My next surprise came when I went to type out the recipe from my notes. I thought I had put three tablespoons of oil in them, but my daughter said I told her there was no added fat. So, I broke out the muffin tins and started all over again. I prepared them with no added fat at all and sure enough, they were still moist!

So, make these muffins…they are really delicious and so healthy. But promise….do not eat them until they are completely cooled!

 

Blueberry Banana Muffins

2 C. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 C. apple sauce
3/4 C. firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 T. golden flaxseed meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
cinnamon sugar for topping if desired
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line about 16 muffin tins with paper liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; whole wheat flour through the nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Add the wet ingredients through the flaxseed. Whisk a bit. Add the flour mixture and the walnuts (if using) into the large bowl. Stir with a spoon just until combined. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. I ended up with 16 muffins, but you may have more or less.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes. I always check mine a few minutes early just in case.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tins for about 10 minutes, then set them on a rack until completely cooled.
I dipped the tops in cinnamon sugar to make them pretty and to add a little sweetness.



 
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