Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Squares

I was rearranging things in the freezer and was surprised to find a container of blueberries from this past June – the best blueberries I’ve ever tasted.  I needed room in the freezer and I needed a Sunday dessert so I looked on the internet for something different.  This recipe is adapted from one on All Recipes.com.  It is a rather light dessert with the good flavor of the blueberries shining through.

• Servings: 9
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Cake Layer

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• ½ tsp. lemon extract
• ½ tsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Ricotta Layer

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 15 oz. package of ricotta cheese (approximately 1-½ cups)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place sugar, egg and softened butter; beat for one minute.  Add flour, baking powder, salt, milk, lemon extract and lemon peel; beat for one minute at low speed and one minute on medium speed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Sprinkle blueberries over the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs until light and fluffy, add 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon extract  – whisk until smooth.  Add ricotta and whisk until all of the ricotta has been absorbed.

Spoon this mixture over the blueberries and spread evenly to cover all of the berries.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 55 to 60 minutes until a knife inserted near the center of the pan comes out clean.

Place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

9 servings 

Fresh Blueberry Jam

Our favorite farm market (Blooms ‘n Berries in Loveland – near Cincinnati) has U-pick for blueberries this summer for the first time.  My daughter hurried down to pick about 2 quarts of the most flavorful blueberries I’ve ever tasted.  My 9-year-old granddaughter ate about a quart of berries out of hand, but I still had enough to make this beautiful dark jam.  The recipe makes 9 cups of jam and I used an assortment of pint and half-pint jars (the half-pint jars destined to be gifts to some special people).

• Servings: 9 cups
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• 4 pts. blueberries (4-1/2 cups of crushed berries)
• 2 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 7 cups granulated sugar
• 2 pouches CERTO liquid pectin

Makes 9 cups of jam 

Before beginning to cook the jam, do the following:

1. Have pint and/or half-pint jars washed and sterilized.
2. Bring a boiling water canner, half-full with water, to simmer.
3. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat.
4. Measure lemon juice into small container.
5. Measure sugar into large bowl
6. Cut tops off pouches of pectin and set in a bowl.  Keep this near the stove.

Place the berries in a large bowl and crush with a potato masher.

I like to leave about half of the berries whole.

Measure 4-½ cups of the prepared berries into a large heavy-bottom pot.  Stir in lemon juice and sugar.

On high heat, stirring constantly, cook the berry mixture to a full rolling boil (bubbles completely covering the pan that do not stop bubbling when stirred).  Keeping the pot on the heat, stir in the pectin from the two pouches.

Once again, bring to a full rolling boil, cook for exactly one minute longer.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.

Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands tightly.

Place jars on rack in canner.  Turn up heat to medium and start timing after water begins to boil.  Process for 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place on a rack to cool.  After jars are cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.  (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)  Let jars stand for 24 hours.  Processed, unopened jars can be stored for one year.

See this web site for good information on home canning.

Blueberry Chocolate Mousse

I got the idea for this dessert from a recipe on the Blueberry Council web site.  I changed it to suit my taste, ingredients and the way I wanted to serve it.

The mousse alone would be very good but the addition of the cookie adds a bit more richness and flavor.  My daughters and I really enjoyed it.

• Servings: 4
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• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk, divided
• 1-¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
•  ½ cup milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)
•  4 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo)
•  ½ cup fresh blueberries

In a medium microwaveable bowl, place 1/3-cup evaporated milk.  Sprinkle gelatin over and stir to mix
Set aside to allow gelatin to soften for 5 minutes

Microwave on high until bubbles appear, 30 to 60 seconds
Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth then stir in remaining evaporated milk

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture starts to set.
Meanwhile, crumble half of a chocolate sandwich cookie into each of 4 dessert dishes

Set aside

Remove bowl of chocolate chip mixture from refrigerator and stir until smooth.   Fold blueberries into mousse.

Spoon mousse mixture into the four dessert dishes.  Crumble half of a chocolate sandwich cookie over the top of each dish of mousse.

Cover loosely and chill until firm, about 2 hours

4 servings 

Blueberry Rhubarb Delight (with Fig Bars)

I found the basic idea for this recipe several years ago, but changed it around quite a bit to make it easier to prepare and to use what I had on hand.  Other than 10 minutes or so it takes to slice the rhubarb (use thawed frozen rhubarb if you can find it), it’s very quick to make, delicious and a bit different from anything I’ve ever had before. The fig bars give it a unique flavor.

When I picked up the rhubarb at my local Meijer store, the young man at the checkout asked me what it was.  When I told him it was rhubarb, he asked, “Do you eat it like celery?”  I told him it was extremely tart and better cooked in a pie or dessert (like this one).

RHUBARB BLUEBERRY DELIGHT

• Servings: 4
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• 3 cups prepared fresh rhubarb (about one pound)*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 12 fig bars (Fig Newtons)
• ½ to ¾ cup whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip) or whipped cream

*Wash and dry rhubarb and cut down the center lengthwise if thick.  Cut into pieces approximately 1-½ inches long, removing tough skin and strings.

In a medium pan, combine rhubarb, sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium low heat.  Continue to cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender and a sauce has formed.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Set our 4 dessert dishes.  I wanted to use my vintage two-handled bowls which measure about 1-½ inches deep x 4-¾ inches across the top.

In the bottom of each bowl, crumble one fig bar.

Top with cooled rhubarb/sauce.  Crumble a fig bar over the top of the rhubarb.

Add one tablespoon of whipped topping/cream.

Sprinkle ¼ cup of blueberries over each serving.

Crumble a fig bar over the blueberries.  Top with one tablespoon of whipped topping/cream.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings 

Fresh Blueberry Teacakes

These little teacakes are just right to serve with cold lemonade on a hot summer day.   They are not as thick as muffins and make a nice afternoon snack.

BLUEBERRY TEA CAKES

• Servings: 12
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• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2-3 tsp. granulated sugar for sprinkling tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Lightly oil or line a 12-cup cupcake tin

Note:  There is no milk in this recipe

In large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Place blueberries in a bowl.  Measure the flour and from this, take two tablespoons of flour to mix with blueberries.

In medium bowl mix remaining flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to oil mixture, stirring just enough to blend.  Stir in the blueberries gently.

Spoon mixture into greased or lined muffin tins.  The mixture will be thick. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake @ 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.  Let pan cool on rack for 3-4 minutes, then remove cakes to rack to cool.

Yield:  12 teacakes

Our Favorite Blueberry Pie

This recipe came from a 1976 cookbook, The Redbook Cookbook, a premium that came along with a subscription to the magazine.  It has been one of my favorite cookbooks, as evidenced by the tattered and worn cover …

…and the stained pages.

I first made this pie in 1993 when my youngest daughter requested it for Thanksgiving.  Since the other kinds of pies I baked were more popular with the family, she wound up eating the entire blueberry pie herself (over a couple of days, of course).

• Servings: 6-8
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• Pastry for 9” two-crust pie (See my favorite here)
• 4 cups fresh blueberries OR two 12 oz packages frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1 Tblsp. milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl mix together berries, sugar, flour, lemon peel and juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

Place in pastry-lined pan, dot with butter.  Place top crust, brush with milk, cut vents.  Bake 45 minutes on a flat pan to catch spills.

Cool on wire rack.  Makes 6 to 8 slices of really good pie. 

Blueberry Pineapple Dessert

Over 20 years ago, my husband and I were members of a wonderful round dance club in Cincinnati, the Bendoliers.  At Christmas time, the couple who served as President gave a brunch for the other officers in the club.  As Secretary, my husband I were invited and it was a beautiful meal.  I told the hostess that my favorite dish was what she called “Blueberry Salad” and asked for the recipe.  She was amazed that I didn’t know this old standby and as the years have passed, I’ve seen many versions of it in community cookbooks.  But at that time it was new to me and I loved it.

I adapted her recipe a little bit and I think of it as a dessert rather than a salad, but basically, it’s the same great dish we had that long-ago Christmas.

• Servings: 9
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• Two 6 oz. packages of blackberry gelatin (I used four 3 oz. packages of Jell-O Blackberry Fusion)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cold fruit juice*
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• One 8 oz. can crushed pineapple

*Whenever I drain a can of fruit, I put it into a pint jar that I keep in the freezer.  I keep adding the drained juice from whatever fruit I have until I have enough to replace the cold water in a gelatin recipe.  In this case, I used a mixture of several kinds of fruit.

Topping

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

In a 9×9 pan, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Add the cold fruit juice, stirring well.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 1-1/2 hours until the mixture cools and begins to thicken.  After the mixture has thickened, add the blueberries and pineapple.  (Pineapple should be drained through a sieve into a cup, lightly pressing with a spoon.   I add this juice to my jar of stashed juice in the freezer.)

Chill gelatin/fruit mixture until set.

After the gelatin/fruit mixture has set, make the topping:  Beat together the cream cheese, dairy sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla.  Spread the topping over the gelatin/fruit mixture.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield:  9 delicious servings.