Blueberry bakes you might like

Local blueberries are winding down and there are still some peaches to be had. I’d like to share a couple of straight forward goodies from the past few weeks.

First up - peach blueberry custard tart (you could make it all peach if you’d like). Here’s the recipe PDF for you. It’s similar to the mixed red fruits tart I wrote about waaaaaaay back in March of 2015!

I made this one for a cousins’ reunion at Jen’s lake cottage. It’s a good plan ahead-er since the crust can be baked and held in the freezer even a few days before finishing it off. The custard comes together quickly and can be held in the fridge up to 24 hours - re-whisk before using.

Blind bake your favorite short crust or pâte brisée, arrange fruit of choice on the base, pour the easy custard over it all and bake. Voila!

The custard is a blend of 90 g sugar, 160 ml cream (or 80 g mascarpone/80 g cream), 3 large eggs, 1/2 tablespoon flour, 25 g almond flour, 25 g melted butter, 1/2 tablespoon vanilla and optional spices like a few grates of fresh nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander. Whisk it all together - can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or so. Simply re-whisk before pouring it over the fruit. Easy peasy.

It bakes about 35- 40 minutes until the custard is set. Let cool. Great served with some freshly whipped cream and a crunchy garnish like oat crumble or toasted sliced almonds.

Next up!

Remember that mascarpone torta post I wrote a few months ago? At the end I shared my recipe for mascarpone cake and showed you some petite teacakes using raspberries. Well this time I (once again) had some mascarpone in the fridge ready to use so went with the same recipe but different fruit.

I went for a narrower, slightly longer loaf cake this time (in my mom’s MIRRO pan that I love!) and topped it with almond cream and blueberries. Yes!

I like to line the pan with parchment then butter and raw sugar the sides of the pan to give it a bit of exterior crunch. Ease the batter in and level the top - see those sugared sides?

Once the batter is in, press blueberries randomly on top. NOTE: I opted not to blend berries into the full batter batch since I find they have a tendency to sink to the bottom during baking.

I happened to have some crème d’amande on hand so decided to pipe squiggles on top before baking, along with a sprinkle of a bit more raw sugar.

Using this particular pan the cake bakes at 350ºF for about 60-70 minutes. An 8” or 9” round shallower pan will take less - more like 45-50 - it’s up to you to check! The top should be nicely browned and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan about 15 minutes then lift out and finish cooling on a wire grid.

YUM!

Steve and I enjoyed this one with some homemade vanilla ice cream. Some of the neighbors benefitted too!

Meanwhile we have a Chihuly installation right across the street at nearby Meijer Gardens. We’ve been to check it out once already and plan a return visit soon. Pretty amazing glass sculpture amidst the natural beauty of the gardens.

Until next time - still working on that scone post! Take care.