Monday, July 13, 2009

Jersey Fresh- Blueberries





















This time of the year you will see signs dotting what I call 'back roads' in my neighborhood. Many small farms still are running in spite of the housing explosion here.

Most of the signs read 'Jersey Fresh', and one thing we look forward to...Jersey Blueberries! On my way home from running errands I stopped at one of the local farm stands, and purchased some...

















Highbush Blueberries deserve some recognition, and New Jersey are proud of their crops! Go check out the history of how early settlers learned to harvest them from the Native Americans, and began serving them for Thanksgiving...

Hubby loves blueberries more than the cereal that lay underneath. Yeah, my fun lovin' cereal eating man, and one of his other favorite foods is when I bake these babies into a dessert.


















My goal was to make a blueberry chutney. One of my signature recipes that I always incorporate with dark chocolate. I manage to add some into my diet this past week. The above 'blon-cake' is a little rough around the edges like me, but so sweet!














Have you ever had one of those moments though when you do not have enough ingredients to make something, but you might be able to pull off something else? Well that is what happened with this dessert. I call it 'Blon-cake'. Not blonde brownies, but not cake either?



















Yeah, I adjusted a blonde brownie recipe I use, added more butter and eggs. Due to a lack of chocolate powder in my spice cabinet to make regular brownies, and an over eagerness to make 'something'...well, lets just call it a not so pretty and tasty 'creation'.

















I am always the first to admit that baking is not one of my favorite things, but like doing it now and then. The blueberries, ingredients, and what chocolate I did have available...made this dessert a hit with the hubby!

Blueberry Blon-Cake

1 1/2 stick butter or margarine (4 ounces), room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed (I only had about half of this, and blended with raw sugar)
3 egg
2 cups unbleached baking flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts (replace with blueberries)
1 cup (about 8 ounces) dark baking chocolate; break into pieces

Preparation:

Cream together the butter and brown sugar; melt 1/2 cup chocolate and stir in; beat in eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in nuts and the rest of the chocolate. Spread batter in a greased and floured 7- X 11-inch pan. Take a small spoon and dollop some blueberry chutney here and there on top of batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

I decided these might have even been better with some walnuts, so next time! If anyone would like my blueberry chutney recipe just email me and I will share...