Fruit Compotes

A compote is essentially pieces of fruit in a sugar syrup. Fruit compotes are easy to make with a variety of fruit, a little sugar, and perhaps some spice or other flavoring. The they are cooked low and slow, just until tender and thickened. Here are some ideas below. 

Rhubarb Apple Compote
fresh rhubarb stocks, cut into small pieces
cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
brown sugar
almond extract

Strawberry Lime Compote
fresh strawberries, sliced
cooked in a little sugar and water
lime curd
fold together

Strawberry Honey Compote
fresh strawberries, quartered
place in a pot with some honey

Blueberry Rhubarb Cardamom Compote
fresh or frozen blueberries
rhubarb, cut into small pieces
ground cardamom

Trio Of Desserts

Shellfish festival gala dinner dessert plate. That's three desserts per plate times 450 people equals 1350 mini desserts by three amazing pastry chefs.

Top: Lemon macaroon with lemon cream filling
Right: raspberry swirled cheesecake on graham crust with raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberry
Left: blueberry tartlet with white chocolate ganache, chantilly cream, and chocolate garnish
Salted caramel sauce.

Easy Blueberry Jelly

Easy Blueberry Jelly
3 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil constantly until reduced and thickened to a jelly consistency. Allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Lemon Blueberry Jelly Roll

This is a not-too-sweet, not-too-difficult summer fresh cake to make. Cut the jelly roll in half width-wise immediately after baking to make two smaller jelly rolls.

Lemon Jelly Roll
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
zest of one large lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line a 10x15 inch jelly roll with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar until mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Fold in remaining ingredients.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake ten minutes. Cook five minutes.

Flip cake onto a clean tea towel lined with parchment paper that is sprinkled with sifted icing sugar. Sift more icing sugar on top. Tightly roll the cake with the paper and tea towel. Allow to cool completely. Gently unroll cake, spread with blueberry jam, and reroll cake. Chill until firm, then slice with a serrated knife.

Blueberry White Chocolate Cake

White Chocolate Cake Batter + Blueberries + Raspberry Pastry Cream + Sugared Ginger Crunch + Dark Chocolate Sauce + Caramel Spiral

The cake is a simple white chocolate cake batter poured into a ramekin, sprinkled with blueberries, and then baked until firm on the outside but still soft and moist on the inside.

The raspberry pastry cream is just as it sounds and lends a pretty pink color. It is underneath the cake.

The sugared ginger crunch is candied ginger stirred into a basic caramel brittle.

The dark chocolate sauce consists simply of dark chocolate and cream, melted together until silky and smooth.

And the caramel spiral is one of my signature pastry garnishes.

Blueberry Brown Sugar Bars

The bars are rich and sweet, soft and gooey, tasty and healthy. I am not sure if they are more of a 'cake' bar or a 'blondie' bar but they certainly are delicious. They retain their softness and moisture from containing no added fat, but using fruit purées instead. You get a hint of banana, but it is not a dominant flavor. Almond butter adds a nice taste and texture to these bars, and adds some nutrition. Use whole wheat flour and date sugar for a truly healthy bar that is also vegan!

Blueberry Brown Sugar Bars
1/2 cup smooth almond butter (no added ingredients, use a different nut if desired)
scant 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 medium bananas, well mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour, or use whole wheat, oat, or even almond
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (fresh would probably work as well, or substitute raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond butter, applesauce, banana, and vanilla well until very smooth. Mix in the sugar. Toss the blueberries in the flour and add along with the baking soda and salt. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, though may still have a few crumbs attached. Bars will be soft. 

It is imperative to allow them to cool, then refrigerate them to cool completely before cutting (unless you just want to dive into an ooey gooey, but equally delicious, mess with a spoon, as I TOTALLY would - but I like ooey gooey textures like that). I even recommend popping them in the freezer just for an hour or so before trying to cut them to help set the crumb.

Blueberry Grunt

Blueberry grunt is a cross between blueberry cobbler and blueberry buckle. It supposedly gets its name from the noise it makes while cooking. Traditionally it is steamed, but I like to bake it to make it easier and neater to serve. You cannot go wrong with a sweet, thick blueberry filling, and a crispy, doughy biscuit topping. It is good warm or cold, but especially nice warm if you happen to have a scoop of vanilla ice cream hiding in your freezer. 

Blueberry Grunt
FILLING
5 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 425◦F.
FILLING: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer while preparing dough.
DOUGH: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the butter, then stir in the milk to form a soft dough. 

Pour the hot filling in a 9x13 inch pan. Place the dough in spoonfuls over top. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until dough is golden and cooked and fruit is hot and bubbly. 

Double Blueberry Breakfast Parfait

This is a breakfast parfait I made for myself the other day. Although these types of parfaits are popular as breakfasts and snacks, I don't tend to make them very often. They can be quite nutritious when made with wholesome ingredients, and are a good way to layer all four food groups into one convenient cup for something quick or something to eat on the go. They are also incredibly versatile and can be tailored to any tastes. The main components are: a grain (cereal, granola, flaxseed), fresh fruit, yogurt, and sometimes nuts or seeds for some crunch. All of this is layered in a dish as desired, and it is ready to eat!

I call this version a double blueberry parfait. It used oatmeal as the base instead of granola, so I cooked some up for a smoother parfait with less crunch. It also makes the parfait a little warm, and a delicious pairing with cool and creamy yogurt, but a cold cereal may be substituted to avoid clashing with temperatures. I also chose to cook the blueberries with my oatmeal since they were frozen, but you can layer in fresh fruit if you prefer. 

In a microwaveable bowl, mix together: 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/3 cup frozen blueberries, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2/3 cup water. Cook on medium (50%) power for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let stand for one minute.

In a tall glass or parfait dish layer as follows:
one spoonful blueberry yogurt
1/3 of the oatmeal
1 teaspoon almond butter
and repeat layers twice more

Enjoy!

Sunny Morning Pancakes

Sunny Morning Pancakes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons oats
1 scant Tablespoon each: shredded coconut, sesame seeds, chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon raisins
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 1 teaspoon water
1/3 cup milk

Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients. Add the flax and milk mixture and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, this can make one big pancake or several small ones. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
For crispy pancakes: Heat the pan to medium-high and spread the batter thin.
For soft and fluffy pancakes: Keep the pan on medium and make the batter thicker. 

Spread with: yogurt, nut butter, honey, maple syrup, molasses, or jam.
Top with: fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips. 
These are sort of like a morning glory muffin, but with less tropical flavors. Different fruits and nuts may be substituted as desired for different flavors, but the principle idea here is a pancake with some texture, crunch, and lots of flavor. They are hearty and tasty and make one good-sized breakfast serving. 

Apple Split Pancake

Apple Split Pancakes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
handful blueberries, fresh or frozen

Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, flax, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. I just made one large pancake, but several mini ones would also work. Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter. Cook for a few minutes until golden, then flip and cook again. Flip over onto a plate to serve blueberry-side up. Garnish as desired. 

I love breakfast, in case that wasn't obvious by now! I don't mind taking a little extra time and effort in the morning to try a new recipe and make something a little special for myself. I especially like these recipes that make individual servings - not because I don't enjoy sharing, but usually everyone fixes their own style of breakfast in the house. That's perfectly fine, and I like hearty, well-rounded breakfast like this one. I call this an apple split pancake because I got the idea from a banana pancake topped with cherries and chocolate chips. Instead, this is a pancake made with applesauce and topped with blueberries. A single pancake doesn't take as long to make as you may think, and makes for a warm, yummy breakfast. Top it with some Greek yogurt and fruit/nuts to add some protein or spread it with almond butter and enjoy with a glass of milk, for an easy breakfast that includes all four food groups. 

Kefir Smoothie

Recently I tried kefir for the first time. Kefir is a fermented milk drink that is very rich in probiotics - even more so than yogurt, so it is a useful aid in digestion. I tired plain kefir, and would describe it as some sort of cross between buttermilk and plain Greek yogurt. It is certainly tangy, and very thick - drinkable, but almost a yogurt consistency. It can be consumed as is, though it lacks a little in the flavor compartment, but flavored varieties are available. It can also be used in most baked goods in place of yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and sometimes regular milk. However, where it really shines is in smoothies. It can take the place of milk, yogurt, ice cream, or all of the above, and produces a cold, creamy, and very thick smoothie. Also when blended into a smoothie, you can add any flavors you like and make the kefir taste much better! Here is a simple recipe I came up with myself, that I enjoyed since it contains a few of my favorite foods and gives a good boost of protein. It is also my favorite color! Try some kefir in your next smoothie!

Purple Keifr Smoothie
3/4 cup kefir
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon almond butter
1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
*Optional: For a "green" smoothie, that is actually purple, throw in a handful of leafy greens for an added nutritional bonus.

Blend all together until smooth. Makes about one serving, but measurements are approximate and can be played with.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup milk of choice

Mix all together in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning it will be thickened - enjoy as is or heat it up.

This is another easy, quick, and wholesome individual breakfast. It is just like the {Overnight Almond Oatmeal},or the {Overnight Apple Spice Oatmeal} simply another flavor variation. These breakfasts are convenient because they are prepared the night before and a re quick to throw together. Then they are ready in the morning as is, or they can be warmed if you wish. The recipes are also versatile, so in a pinch you can substitute another ingredient, and the flavors can be played with - use almond, soy, or cow milk, different fruits, nuts, etc. It is great even for those who are not oatmeal fans. 

Blueberry Pancakes For One

Here is another tasty, quick yet special breakfast for one. It is somewhat similar to the Single Blueberry Muffin I recently posted. Because these pancakes are made in a small batch with whole wheat flour, they are not as light and fluffy as normal pancakes would be, but they are hearty and delicious. I use a little flax and water in them, which serves as an egg replacement in baking, in order to achieve a better texture, just like with the muffin.

Blueberry Pancakes For One
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tablespoons oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon water
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. 
In a medium bowl, mix together the first six dry ingredients. Mix together the flax and water and add along with the milk and vanilla. Mix well. Spoon batter into prepared pan, I made four small, thick pancakes. Cook until golden on both sides.

Single Blueberry Muffin

You know when you're really craving a blueberry muffin? But you don't have enough time to whip up a batch, you don't want to wait, and you don't really want any leftovers? Here is the solution for a single blueberry muffin, that is mixed up in seconds and cooks just as quickly in the microwave. Perfect for a quick and healthy breakfast!

Single Blueberry Muffin
2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon water
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
sugar to sweeten

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and blueberries. In a separate bowl, mix the flax and water together to form a paste, then add the remaining ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and still until just moistened, do not overmix. Place in a small greased mug and microwave on HIGH power (100%) for about 90 seconds. 

Note: I got this recipe idea from a website; it only made one muffin but baked it in the oven. I tailored the recipe for more efficient microwave use, but my first try didn't turn out great. This is the revised version, and I recommend following it exactly in order to achieve good results.  

Mom's Blueberry Cinnamon Muffins

These are blueberry muffins my mother often makes. It is a simple, trusted recipe she has been using for years now. She makes blueberry muffins for company or friends, for special occasions, or when we are looking for something a little different. This recipe is successful with either fresh or frozen blueberries, and we always purchase a big batch of blueberries each year to freeze and have on hand for these muffins and blueberry coffee cake. However, these muffins taste extra special during blueberry season when we are able to use fresh blueberries. For the first time ever, my mother decided to try something different with this recipe. She doubled the batch, and then sprinkled a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon on top of each muffin before baking. I didn't get to taste one warm from the oven, but a few hours the later the topping was still crisp and sweet. By the next day, the topping had softened into the muffin a bit, and was now moist and delicious. Either way, they were good, and an easy way to add a little something special to these favorite muffins. I don't think we will ever let her make them again without this special topping! It just goes to show that an old recipe can be improved upon, and changes can be welcomed, you just need to experiment a bit!

Blueberry Streusel Cake

There were still some fresh blueberries lingering in the fridge, so I decided to look for a recipe that specifically calls for fresh blueberries instead of frozen, because I can bake with frozen blueberries anytime. I found this tasty looking cake, which I also remember eyeing last year, but I didn't get the chance to make it then. This year I made up this cake ahead of time, and put it in the fridge for a few hours. Then it got baked later on in the day so I could enjoy it warm from the oven as a snack. It is delicious warm, but I bet it would be good at room temperature and probably quite tasty cold as well. You could serve this cake with ice cream or whipped cream if you wish, but it really doesn't need it.

Blueberry Streusel Cake
STREUSEL TOPPING
1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
CAKE BATTER
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Butter or spray an 8x8 inch square baking pan.
STREUSEL: In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly.
CAKE: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, and 1/3 cup of flour. Stir in 1/2 of the milk, then 1/3 cup flour, remaining milk, and remaining flour. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle  blueberries over top, then sprinkle with streusel. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

 "Blueberry Cake.” http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlueberryCake.html . Joy of Baking, n.d. Friday, August 24, 2012. 

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins make a classic choice for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. They are just so delicious on their own! 

You can find recipes for blueberry streusel, blueberry nut, blueberry banana, and blueberry oat muffins, but this is a recipe for just plain old blueberry muffins. 

This is the recipe my mother always uses. I love coming home to the enticing aroma of a batch of fresh blueberry muffins.

Blueberry Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (may need a bit more)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.  In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg until smooth. Mix in milk and vanilla. Pour into well. Stir just to moisten, batter will be lumpy. 

Stir blueberries with flour lightly (to prevent them from sinking in the batter). Fold into batter. Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake in 400◦F oven for 25 minutes until nicely browned.

From Company's Coming "Muffins & More".

Paré, Jean. "Blueberry Muffins." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 13.