Friday, February 26, 2010

Blueberry Boy Bait: It works!

A friend came over to borrow my kitchen and bake last night.  She made a delicious treat called Blueberry Boy Bait.  I also made some oh-so-good cheaters lasagna (ravioli instead of lasagna noodles, baked for 30 minutes in the sauce-yummy!)

We had a great time baking and eating and chatting, and somehow the kitchen cleaned itself up like magic between the laughter and conversation.  Just as she was headed home around 10:PM, the doorbell rang.  Strangely enough the dogs didn't even bark.  I was a little nervous as I peeked out.  Who should I see but my husband! He decided to come back a day early and surprise us all! 

Try this recipe - as boy bait, it works:  it called to my sweetheart across state lines and brought him home to me.  
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/blueberry-boy-bait/

Blueberry Boy Bait
Adapted from Cook’s Country, which adapted it from the original
(as made by Meagan Rhoads who provided the link to the Smitten Kitchen)

Like any recipe with a great name, this also has a great story, which was that in 1954, a 15-year-old girl stole the show (but only won second prize) in the junior division of an early Pillbury Bake-Off with a variation of this recipe, named, she said, after the effect it had on boys.

Cook’s Country magazine dusted this recipe off from the Pillsbury Bake-Off Dessert Cookbook and made a few tweaks to bring it more deliciously into the modern age: butter was swapped for shortening, the quantity of blueberries was doubled and some plain sugar was replaced with brown sugar. The result? Let’s just say you don’t need to be a boy to be lured in.

Serves 12, generously
2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (though buttermilk, which was all I had on hand, worked just great)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)


Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.


For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

1 comment:

  1. Apparently, it works. I know what I'll be making this weekend... ;)

    ReplyDelete