Tag Archives: Blueberries

Two Little Chefettes Monthly Cooking Challenge: Strawberries

Posted on by Laurie

Thank you to Bebe and Ridha from Two Little Chefettes for suggesting this month’s cooking challenge. My entry is a Strawberry Watermelon Soup with Blueberries swirled with Blueberry Honey Sauce. (These recipes are from my first cookbook A Taste of Morning after which I named this blog). I serve the soup as a fruit course for special occasions or as a light summer dessert paired with a sweet wine. It is easy to make and very refreshing.

Strawberry Watermelon Soup with Blueberries

Serves 4

Except for the sugar, use chilled ingredients.

3 c. sliced fresh strawberries

2 c. seedless watermelon chunks

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

1/3 c. granulated white sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. fresh blueberries

Blueberry Honey Sauce for garnish (recipe below)

Place strawberries, watermelon, orange juice, sugar, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until fruits are puréed. Divide blueberries between four dessert bowls. Top with soup.  Swirl 1 T. Blueberry Honey Sauce through each bowl of soup, being careful not to blend it in.

Blueberry Honey Sauce

2 c. frozen blueberries

1/4 c. cold water

1/3 c. honey

1 t. fresh lemon juice

In a medium non-stick pan, bring blueberries, water and honey to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until blueberries begin to pop. Stir in lemon juice. Push berries and liquid through a sieve to remove skins. Use right away or pour into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. (Yields about 1 cup.)

Getting Ready for the 4th: Wild Blueberry Cupcakes

Posted on by Laurie

I have very fond memories of the 4th of July from growing up. Every year the town – think very small town, here – would have a parade, followed by a variety show on the town beach, then fireworks over the lake. It was really something to look forward to. Even though I now live 1,800 miles from where I grew up, I still try to make the holiday special.

Wild Blueberry Cupcakes

makes 24

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (stir before measuring)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. granulated white sugar

4 lg. eggs

1 1/2 t. lemon extract

1 c. whole milk

3/4 c. dried wild blueberries*

* If the blueberries seem hard, then place them in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over berries. Cover bowl with a plate. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain well. Liquid can be reserved for another use.

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with muffin papers or foils.

(2) Place flour in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder and salt. Set aside.

(3) Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time and then lemon extract. Scrape down sides as needed.

(4) Gradually beat 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the milk, 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the milk, then the remaining 1/3 of the flour into butter mixture.  Fold in berries.

(5) Carefully scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Once done, place on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups and allow to cool completely before frosting. Decorate with your favorite lemon, almond, vanilla or cream cheese frosting recipe or with Nicole’s 2-Step Buttercream.

Nicole’s 2-Step Buttercream

requires a large food processor and a stand mixer

1 lb. unsalted butter, completely softened

5 c. confectioner’s sugar

3 c. heavy whipping cream

2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. almond extract

(1) Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a large food processor. Start to combine. While food processor is running, add cream and extracts. Process until completely smooth. You may need to pause your food processor now and then.

(2) Once completely smooth, transfer to a large stand mixer and beat until fluffy and white.

Thanks, Nicole, for letting me share your recipe!

I’ve Been Inspired By … Blueberry Gin

Posted on by Laurie

For those of you who haven’t yet discovered it, Boozed + Infused is a wonderful and creative blog by two sisters – Alicia and Eileen. Its theme is preserving seasonal flavors by infusing them in alcohol and, of course, tasty ways to then enjoy those infusions. Alicia’s Blueberry Gin inspired me to give it a try  and to try it out in some original cocktails.  Thank you, Alicia, for letting me share! (Alicia, by the way, says that she got some of her inspiration from Post Prohibition. Isn’t it great how inspiration works?) I tried several recipes made with the Blueberry Gin. I loved Alicia’s Blueberry Pieball cocktail. Of the cocktails that I created, my favorite was Blueberry Gin & Tonic which, by the way, would make an excellent cocktail for the 4th of July. Have you any 4th of July favorites?

Blueberry Gin: Two Methods. 

Boozed + Infused’s Method

2 c. frozen blueberries

2 c. gin

granulated white sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1/2-inch cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

Cook blueberries in a saucepan for 5 minutes, lightly crushing them as they cook. Pour into a 1-qt. jar, add the other ingredients, screw on the lid to the jar, and shake well. Let sit for 1 month, shaking occasionally. (I got impatient and tried the gin in cocktails after a week and a half. It was already very tasty.) Strain and filter. (Alicia says to use a colander, cheesecloth, jellybag and coffee filter. I just used a fine mesh tea filter, but maybe after the gin sits for a whole month more aggressive filtering is needed.)

A Shortcut Which  Will Do in a Pinch to Make Cocktails.

1 c. 100% Blueberry Juice Concentrate (I used Dynamic Health Laboratories brand, which I had bought to make the ice cubes called for by Alicia’s Blueberry Pieball recipe – because I couldn’t find plain blueberry juice.)

5 c. gin

2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a glass jar. Shake well. Chill until serving.

Blueberry Gin & Tonic

4 oz. blueberry gin

3 oz. tonic water

1/2 oz. lime juice

slice of lime

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add gin, tonic water, and lime juice. Stir. Garnish with slice of lime. Enjoy!