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.

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread

   

When working in the Buchanan Library recently, I came across a book that looked interesting.  It was waiting to be processed, so I made sure the labels and all the appropriate stamps were in place and then applied the tape on the spine.  It was one type of book I really enjoy...a murder mystery with recipes!  And BLUEBERRY ones!

Well, I couldn't check it out yet, so I copied a couple of recipes while I wait for it to be processed.  I will read it when it becomes available, but in the meantime I made...

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest I didn't measure it, just one lemon minus the green stamp on the skin.
3/4 cup dried blueberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, lemon zest and dried blueberries in a large bowl.

   

Cut the butter into small chunks and cut it into the flour mixture until crumbly.

At this point the recipe wanted me to keep mixing until the dough comes together.  It didn't.

   

So I put everything in my Kitchen-Aid mixer and let it run.  In just a few seconds it all came together in a big ball.  I was worried I would have to add milk or something as it looked like it would never come together.  Modern technology.  Ain't it grand?

   

The recipe suggested chilling the dough for 30 minutes, but our house was pretty chilly already and it wasn't sticky, so I just went ahead.  If it is summer or the dough seems sticky, go ahead and chill it.

Place the ball of dough between two sheets of wax paper.  Roll it out in a (mostly) rectangle until it is 1/2 inch thick.  I used the edge of a table knife to make the edges more even and trimmed off some of it.  Then I cut it into squares.  I made the bits on the edges into a log and flattened it and then cut more squares. 

Place these on an ungreased cookie sheet or a Silpat, about 1 inch apart.

   

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned.  Mine took 17 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack and place in an airtight container.

I was making chocolate dipped strawberries for the meal I was serving with the Blueberry Lemon Bars, so I went ahead and dipped a few of them in chocolate.  Both ways were delicious!