My daughter absolutely loves blueberries. Before she left for camp, I bought her a huge container of them, and now that she is gone, I am left with more blueberries than I care to consume.
I like blueberries, but I don’t love them. I generally find them too powerful and sweet when I bake with them. Most blueberry recipes recognize this and add lemon to offset the sweetness. In attempting to rid myself of them, I tried a recipe and created one of my own.
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The first one I tried was a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Bread from Taste of Home. It received rave reviews by those who tried it. Several suggested leaving off the icing, which I did. I added a teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe because I like it in virtually everything, and I also toasted pecans before I added them. The result is a very good, quick bread that is quite lemony. If I were to make it again, I would consider replacing the lemon zest with orange zest.
The other recipe I created was for a nectarine and blueberry crisp served in a ramekin. I typically love Ina Garten’s recipes, and she had one for a peach and blueberry crisp, but I wanted one that utilized toasted pecans, oats, and nectarines in lieu of peaches, so I created my own. The result was a truly lovely crisp that would be perfect as a summer dessert served à la mode.
Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients:
2 nectarines cut in slices
3/4 c. blueberries
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (half a lemon)
1 Tbsp. flour or 1 tsp corn starch
1/4 c. sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
Combine ingredients and place in ramekins. This made enough for six small ramekins.
Using a standing electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the following until the butter is the size of peas.
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
Gently fold in or use your hands to mix in
1/4 c. toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 c. oats
Be sure not to combine the last two ingredients when you use the mixer or your mix will become more like a batter and not have as much texture on top.
Bake in a 350 degree convection oven for about 40 minutes. If using a traditional oven, you will need a few more minutes.
