Heirloom Meals: Savoring Yesterday's Traditions Today

Thursday July 30, 2009

Carole’s Concoctions:
Blueberry Indulgence

These past two weeks are among my favorite - the pick your own blueberry farms are open and blueberries abound at most farm stands and farmer's markets.  And of course I stuff my face until my mouth is blue, reveling in all the antioxidants this dark super food is delivering to my body. But I also love to bake with them.  One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid in the summer was to bake blueberry muffins or blueberry coffee cake.

 
Here is one that uses yogurt for an even more healthful indulgence:
 

Blueberry Yogurt Coffee Cake

This recipe has been in our stable of recipes as far back as I can remember. My Mom and grandmother made certain there was always yummy homemade baked goods in the house. This was a special weekend breakfast treat.  I used to view it as breakfast dessert.  We were big yogurt eaters so it’s not surprising that we baked with yogurt. I now love the new flavors like banilla that add a special twist - but plain usually does the trick!

 

 

For the Topping

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut up

 

For the Cake

8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x13 baking dish.  Using a fork, blend topping ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, brown sugar and egg (I do it by hand with a fork, but a mixer works wonders!) Add baking soda, flour, yogurt and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle berries over top and gently push into batter and then sprinkle sugar topping over all.

 

Bake 45-50 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!