Berry Me, Please

Berry season is beginning throughout the country. In my old stomping grounds, the local berry favorite was the olallieberry. Unfortunately, those don't grow in these here parts. But, blueberries do very well here on the Kansas-Missouri border. So, we're learning to adapt.

Here are three of our favorite recipes featuring blueberries:

Blueberry-Pineapple Smoothie
You can use flavored yogurt, but lately we've used plain for less sugar and lower prices. You can always adjust the sweetness with honey.

1 can sliced or chunk pineapple, chilled, juice included
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
8 ounces plain yogurt
1 pineapple can full of crushed ice (optional)

Blend well in blender.


Blueberry-Oat Coffee Cake

1 cup unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup oil
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl combine flours, oats, sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and ginger. Blend in oil until smooth. Remove 3/4 cup mixture and combine with nuts and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well and set aside. To remaining flour mixture, add baking powder, soda, egg, and buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Pour into greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle blueberries over top. Sprinkle reserved nut mixture evenly over berries. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool before serving.


Blueberry Scones
Instead of using a bowl and pastry blender for the flour mixture-butter part of the recipe, I blend it in my food processor for about 15 seconds, then transfer to a bowl to combine with the wet ingredients.

1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon cream
1-2 tsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large mixing bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs are formed. The largest bits should be about the size of peas. Add the cream, egg, and vanilla and stir with a fork lightly. Stir in bluberries. Mixture should look "shaggy." Transfer to lightly floured work surface. Knead 2-3 times. Flatten gently into a round about 1 inch thick and 7 inches across. Cut into eight wedges. Separate the edges and place on greased baking sheet or on parchment-covered sheet. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 18-22 minutes until golden and baked through.