Blueberry Clafoutis

Blueberry Clafoutis

July: National Blueberry Month

We get rave reviews on the recipe for raspberry-almond clafoutis that we decided to bake another one featuring the fruit of the month: blueberries! This is a simple summery dish from France, also called flaugnarde, which is like a cross between a custard and a cake. Although it does not look as attractive as other dishes, the sweet scent of vanilla and bursts of blueberry make this dessert as delicious as the raspberry-almond clafoutis. Taste why this is a French favorite—and why it has also become one of ours—and bake a blueberry clafoutis for National Blueberry Month.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck) 

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup flour
  • powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk. Pour in the sugar. Add the vanilla and pinch of salt.

Blueberry Clafoutis

Mix in the flour until the batter is no longer lumpy. Pour the batter about ¼ inch thick into a pie dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes to set the bottom of the clafoutis. Remove from the oven and arrange the blueberries on top.

Blueberry Clafoutis

Pour the remaining batter over the blueberries.  Return to the oven and bake for an hour or until the middle is no longer wet and wiggly. The clafoutis is cooked when it is puffed up and brown and a knife comes out clean after inserting into the middle. Remove from the oven and cool slightly (the dessert will deflate) before slicing into wedges. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on each serving. The blueberry clafoutis may be served hot or cold.

Blueberry Clafoutis

Notes

  • Try the recipe for raspberry-almond clafoutis for July which is also National Berry Month. 
  • Search our blog for more recipe posts containing blueberries as an ingredient.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

July 11: National Blueberry Muffin Day

When we traveled to Maine to visit our goddaughter, Keira B., and her family, we had the opportunity to drive around the quiet countryside and see moose on the loose, serene lakes, vibrant lupin fields and wild berries (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) along the way. In fact, during its annual summer harvest, the state produces more than 90 percent of America’s wild blueberry crops growing naturally in 60,000 acres. As we reminisced about our time spent in the Maine wilderness with Keira and her family, we baked up a batch of classic blueberry muffins for our blog to celebrate National Blueberry Muffin Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Yankee Magazine)

Ingredients

  • 1-2 cups of fresh blueberries
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar.  Stir in the milk and egg. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl and combine well.

Blueberry Muffins

Gently fold in the blueberries to the batter. Fill a well-greased muffin tin (or use cupcake paper liners) about 2/3 full.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the muffins to wire rack to cool.

Blueberry Muffins

Notes

  • Add a few fresh blueberries on top the batter before baking for a burst of flavor.
  • Sprinkle coarse sugar crystals on top of the batter before baking for a crunchy sweetness.
  • Blueberries are a superfruit that is high in antioxidants. Learn more about their health benefits and nutritional value from the Wild Blueberries website.
  • Search our blog for other recipe posts on blueberries.

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

May 26: National Blueberry Cheesecake Day

This blog recipe post is an adaptation of the mini cherry cheesecakes that we featured on April 23 for National Cherry Cheesecake Day. In this version, instead of topping the mini cheesecakes with canned blueberry pie filling, the drained blueberries are sandwiched between layers of cheesecake batter. Fresh blueberries enhance the taste as well as the presentation of these mini blueberry cheesecakes. The double dose of canned and fresh blueberries is a “berry” good combination for National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
  • ¾ cup sugar (granulated white)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • box of vanilla wafers
  • can of blueberry pie filling
  • ½ cup of fresh blueberries

Directions

Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers and place one vanilla wafer in each cup.  Drain the can of blueberry pie filling in a colander, separating the berries from the thickened liquid; reserve the liquid. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Cover the vanilla wafers with a small amount of cheesecake batter.

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

Add a teaspoonful of drained blueberry pie filling on top of the first layer of cheesecake batter.  Cover the top of the pie filling with a second layer of cheesecake batter, being careful not to mix the colors, about 2/3 full. Tap the bottom of the muffin tin until the batter lies smoothly. Bake the mini cheesecakes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

Remove the mini cheesecakes from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes in the muffin tins. Transfer the mini cheesecakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least one hour to set. Rinse and dry the fresh blueberries. Dip a blueberry in the reserved liquid drained from the canned pie filling and stick it the middle of the cheesecake well. Repeat with two more blueberries and arrange the decoration on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: About 1 ½ dozen.

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes