Blueberry Gingerbread

   

Blueberry recipes usually catch my eye.  And I love me some gingerbread.  This one came complete with a mystery, called Town In A Blueberry Jam by B. B. Haywood.  I found it on the shelves of books waiting to be processed in the Buchanan Library.  I couldn't check it out to read the mystery, but I could look at the back and use the recipe!

Blueberry Gingerbread

1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses This helps to make this a dark rich gingerbread.
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Maine wild blueberries, fresh or dried only.
1 cup hot water

I couldn't find the wild blueberries.  There are the little teeny ones.  I did find dried blueberries and decided to just chop them up small.  It worked for me.

   

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray Pam in an 8 inch square pan.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar.  A stand mixer is the best for this.  I use a Kitchen-Aid mixer.

   

Mix in the molasses.  If you have a hard time getting the last of the molasses out of the jar, heat it for about 10 seconds.  Not longer.  It will get VERY hot and BURN you.  No, of course I didn't do this.  THIS time.  Because I learn from my mistakes...and so should you, learn from my mistakes, that is.

Add the egg and continue mixing.  You may have to scrape it down a time or two.

   

In a separate bowl , combine the dry ingredients.  Then take out a Tablespoon or so and add it to the bowl where you put the blueberries, chopped up in my case.  Stir it all around until the blueberries are coated and not clumped together.  This allows the blueberries to be evenly distributed in the gingerbread and not sink to the bottom.

Add a scoop of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and then a portion of the hot, not boiling, water.  Continue doing this and mixing in between, until everything is added in and the mixture is smooth.

   

Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the blueberries.  This is where you put them on top and bring the spoon up from the bottom and cover the blueberries.  Work all the way around the bowl until everything is mixed in.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  You will need to do a bit of scraping to get everything from the bowl into the pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  I had to cook it for 37 minutes.  Wonky oven.

I cut it in 9 squares and then cut some of the squares in half.  Then you can have a small piece and decide you really like it and have another small piece.  This seems like less food than taking a big piece.  Don't ask me why.  Gingerbread is always better with a bit of whipped cream or Cool Whip.

 

    

 

 

The gingerbread flavor is really strong in this recipe.  ( "The FORCE is strong in this one."  Don't know why that quote popped in my head.  Maybe because I have a son that watched those movies a zillion times.)  Even so, you can taste the blueberries.  A strange, yet good,  combination.