Berry Yogurt Scones

Different kinds of breads for breakfast, whether served with fruit and tea on an early workday morning, or alongside an egg dish being enjoyed with guests on the weekend, are such a wonderful change of pace. This recipe is adapted from one that I cut out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine years ago. The original recipe was made with fruit yogurt and was difficult to work with because the dough was very sticky. Greek yogurt is thick and causes the dough to be much denser and sturdier. The addition of dried fruit adds great flavor and a bit of fiber. Fresh fruit, unless it is a hard fruit like apple, would not stand up to the kneading of the dough.  Blessings...

Recipe:

2-1/2 cups biscuit mix such as Bisquick

1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling on top

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup vanilla 2% Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dried blueberries or cranberries

1. Combine biscuit mix and 1/4 cup sugar.

2. Stir together egg, yogurt, berries and butter.

3. Combine the two just until mixture comes together.

4. Scrape dough out of bowl onto smooth work surface. Dough will be very thick and dense. Knead 8-10 times so that dough is well combined and forms a smooth mass.

5. Gather dough up and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Pat into a 6" circle and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cut into 6 wedges.

6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes rotating pan halfway through baking time. If the scones are already browning, cover them with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Yield: 6 servings
317 calories each
2 gms. fiber
Note: I have found that the best way to tell if a scone is done is to use a sharp knife and cut through one horizontally. If it still appears sticky or doughy, give it another minute or two.

Blueberry Crisp

Wonderfully fresh, plumb blueberries are absolutely delicious in this favorite dessert recipe. The brown sugar, oatmeal, and buttery "crisp" topping is enhanced with the warm fragrant taste of nutmeg, and then it's all topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like. If fresh seasonal berries aren't available, frozen work very well. Blessings...

Recipe:

4 cups fresh blueberries or 16-oz frozen unsweetened berries
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1. Combine lemon zest and brown sugar in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Gently stir in berries and set aside while preparing topping.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping:

2/3 cup regular or old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1. In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients together.
2. Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender until crumbly.
3. Stir berries again; sprinkle topping over berries.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a light golden brown and bubbly.
5. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
404 calories each per 4 servings without ice cream
6 gms. fiber
270 calories each per 6 servings without ice cream
4 gms. fiber

Blueberry Cake Muffins

Blueberry muffins are a delicious breakfast treat, and the fresh berries in the market this time of year are especially good to use in place of  frozen berries because of their firm texture. They are much easier to incorporate into the batter and the batter doesn't turn blue like it does with frozen berries. These tasty muffins are dense and buttery rich with just a hint of nutmeg; a real family favorite. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen and drained blueberries

1. Grease 12 medium muffin-pan cups (2-1/2 x 1-1/4-inches).
2. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, occasionally scraping side of bowl and beaters with rubber scraper.
4. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with milk (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth.
5. With rubber scraper, gently fold in blueberries just until combined.
6. Scoop about 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup. Do not level batter.
7. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden-brown and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Remove pan to wire rack and allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before removing muffins to rack to cool completely. If the berries are large and heavy they will sink to the bottom making the muffins heavy. Leaving them in the muffin cups for a few minutes helps to set the muffins for easier handling and removal.

Yield: 12
233 calories each
1.6 gms. fiber

This recipe was adapted from The New McCall's Cook Book.

Blueberry Banana Salad

This lovely recipe comes from our local newspaper. The original recipe called for sour cream which seemed a little strong with the fruit, so when I made the recipe again the next evening I used vanilla yogurt instead. The yogurt has the wonderful creaminess of sour cream but isn't as tart, so it works great as a fruit salad dressing. We loved the addition of fresh blueberries to the traditional bananas and mandarin oranges that are so familiar in fruit salads. Do prepare the salad in advance for the best flavor. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups sliced, firm bananas (about 2 bananas)
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained (1 cup)
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
2 tbsp. flaked coconut
1/2 cup vanilla or French vanilla yogurt

Combine bananas, blueberries, oranges, marshmallows and coconut in a serving bowl. Gently stir in yogurt.
Refrigerate for two hours before serving to blend flavors.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Blueberry Cream Salad

Gelatin salads have always been a tradition for holidays in our family; we love them. It just doesn't seem like a family gathering at mom's without a favorite from childhood on the table, and there are many to choose from. This wonderful recipe is adapted from an older Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The original recipe calls for a sour cream layer, which is the part that I changed to a much richer, denser layer made with cream cheese and whipping cream. What can I say, it's Easter, and having "rich" on the table is part of our family traditions. Blessings...
 

Recipe:

1 3-oz pkg. lemon gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 1-lb. 5-oz. can blueberry pie filling

2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped stiff
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tbsp. sugar

1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

2. Stir in pie filling and lemon juice. Chill till partially set.

3. Spoon half the gelatin mixture into a 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Chill till set. (Keep remaining gelatin at room temperature.)

4. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and nutmeg together. Beat in whipped cream. Spread evenly over gelatin in the loaf pan. Top with layer of remaining gelatin.

5. Chill 4 to 5 hours or overnight till firm. Cut into squares to serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Note: This salad can not be molded. The top layer will slide right off the bottom layer; but as you can see from the picture, the salad does stay together very well for serving.
Note: The original recipe calls for combining 1/2 cup sour cream with the sugar for the middle layer. When I have made the salad this way I used low-fat sour cream and the calorie count for 8 servings was 136 calories each.

Yield: 8 servings
176 calories each for the updated version

Blueberry Sauced Waffles

Waffles are wonderful with butter and maple syrup, but they become really special when they are topped with a fruit topping like this blueberry topping and mounds of whipped cream. This is the kind of fare that is served on the brunch buffet at nice restaurants but, prepared at home, is a fraction of the expense and is not difficult to make at all. For this recipe either fresh or frozen berries can be used. This recipe comes from Sunset Ideas and Recipes for Breakfast and Brunch, a wonderful cookbook full of an excellent variety of recipes to help start your day off right. I can't imagine any kid not finding this breakfast very kid-friendly, at least it wouldn't be a problem in our family. The waffle recipe was posted on 4/23/2010. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen, thawed blueberries
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add the blueberries, lemon juice and water.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is thickened. Serve warm or cold, but for warm waffles set the sauce aside at room temperature while the waffles are being prepared. This sauce would also be wonderful as a topping on ice cream or other desserts.

Yield: about 2 cups

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Yesterday, a friend that I hadn't spent time with in ages was able to join me for lunch and a wonderful time of catching up. This precious friend is so easy to have as a guest. She just loves to eat and hates to cook, so she really appreciates any effort put forth for her, and she is easy to please. And, like me she loves soup any time of the year, so I made the recipe for Pinto Bean Soup that is posted on 1/9/2010, she brought some fruit and I pulled this wonderful blueberry coffee cake out of the freezer from a few weeks ago. Little did I know that blueberries are her favorite fruit, so this choice was a real winner. She thought it was as delicious as my hubby and I did, and I was thrilled that my friend was blessed. After all, isn't that what cooking for those we care about is all about? Blessings...

Recipe:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups unbleached flour
1-1/2 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 salt
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Filling:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw frozen berries)
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tsps. milk or more

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
2. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Spoon a third of the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle half over batter. Top with half of the berries. Repeat layers. Top with remaining batter.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make glaze, add milk to powdered sugar 1 tsp. at a time until a good drizzling consistency.

Yield: 12 servings

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake and cheesecake-type pies  are some of our absolute favorite kinds of desserts. This very easy recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes, especially if you use a packaged cookie crust rather than starting from scratch. The filling is creamy and rich with the combination of whipped cream and cream cheese, and of course, you can use any kind of fruit filling you like to top it off. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 8-ounce pkg. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 9-inch baked pastry shell, cookie crust or graham cracker crust
1 1-pound 5-ounce can blueberry pie filling or fruit filling of choice

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla till smooth.
2. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into pie shell.
3. Spoon pie filling on top and chill until set.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Blueberry Coffeecake

This lovely coffeecake is perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch, or a special holiday gathering. The recipe is very easy to put together and can be made in advance and reheated when needed. I love to serve it with eggs and a breakfast meat, or quiche for a family breakfast. The recipe comes from a favorite old cookbook entitled "San Francisco A La Carte". Fabulous recipes! Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup light sour cream (I've also used plain, low-fat yogurt)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup unbleached flour

1. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs, baking powder, salt, and soda and mix until combined.

2. Alternating, add flour and sour cream; 1/4 flour and 1/3 sour cream until combined.

3. Gently stir in blueberries with a wooden spoon or spatula.

4. Pour into a well-buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

5. For the topping: Cream brown sugar and butter; add flour to get a semidry, lumpy mixture. Sprinkle on top of the batter.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The topping should melt and partially sink into the batter.

Yield: 12 servings

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

When the weekend rolls around, my husband and I love to slow down and have a breakfast that is made up of more than cold cereal, or muffins and fruit. We love waffles and pancakes, and this recipe for blueberry pancakes is one of our favorites. I've been making this recipe for years, with and without the blueberries. Either way, the pancakes are delicious. Thawed frozen berries can be used and are wonderful, but I prefer fresh when I can get them because they are plumper and maintain their shape better for cooking. I hope you are able to slow down and enjoy breakfast with your family this weekend, blessings...

Recipe:

3 eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsps. sugar
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsps. butter, melted
1 pkg. (12 oz.) thawed frozen blueberries or 1-1/4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat eggs until light and fluffy-about 2 minutes.
2. Into eggs, add flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and sugars; beat until smooth.
3. Stir in buttermilk and butter just until combined; do not over mix.
4. Stir in blueberries and pecans with a large spoon.
5. On a heated griddle, using 1/4 cup batter per pancake, cook until bubbles form on surface and edges become dry. Turn; cook 2 minutes longer, or until nicely browned on underside. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Yield: 12-14 pancakes
Tip: When using thawed frozen blueberries, it is helpful to drain the berries on a paper towel-lined plate while you prepare the batter so there is not excess moisture added to the batter.

Cranberry Cobbler

With Thanksgiving coming, fresh cranberries are now in the market in abundance. These tart little berries make for a wonderful dessert when they are cooked with other fruit, brown sugar and spices, and then are topped with a biscuit and served warm with vanilla ice cream. A perfect Fall dessert! Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1/2 cup milk
Sugar

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2. In another bowl, combine the biscuit mix and milk. Drop 6 spoonfuls of dough on top of fruit. Lightly sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until dough is golden brown and no longer "doughy" on the bottom. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Serves: 6