Blueberry Sauce

Well, here's the sauce recipe I made today after the cake. I have so many blueberries!!! This is, by far, the best blueberry sauce I've ever tasted and is super-simple to make. I actually doubled this recipe because we have company coming and I want to use this as an alternative to maple syrup on pancakes. It would also be really tasty on a good vanilla bean ice cream or cheesecake (mouth watering yet?). Or.....just by the spoonful...it's just that good!

 

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Makes A Lot!!!

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup water
½ cup Splenda granulated (or sugar)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSP cold water
½ tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon (optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, water, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir frequently and bring to a low boil.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 TBSP cold water.

Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries. Do this gently so you don't break the blueberries. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from heat and gently stir in the lemon zest (optional).

Put in a bowl/container. Store in the refrigerator.

MY SPIN: This will keep in the fridge @ a week or so. To use, I would put it in a microwavable bowl/container to get it 'saucy'. Personally, I would probably just dip a spoon in it and eat it.....it's just that good!!!

Enjoy!

Later!

Loving Life.
Peace.
Jan

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumb Cake

I do it every year!!! I buy tons of a fruit and then have to scramble to figure out what to do with it, besides just eat a handful! This year is no exception. I bought a gallon (!!!) of blueberries from Tidwell's yesterday. They are so sweet! THE best blueberries I've ever tasted! But I still had to figure out what to do with them! This is one recipe I made. I also made Blueberry Sauce (which I'm also going to be sharing in another post). I'm going to freeze a bunch. I have some set aside to make blueberry pancakes. And, of course, some to just munch on. This little cake.....I made it in my Mom's old Corningware. The memories of all the good things she made in her Corningware ..... how I wish I had her old recipes as well as her Corningware!! But this is a very easy cake that can be served as a dessert or like a coffee cake for breakfast. Any way, any time you make it, it's good!

 

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL CRUMB CAKE

Makes 9 Servings

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup instant or rolled oats
½ cup Splenda granulated (or sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup 1% milk
1 large egg
1 ½ cups blueberries

Topping:
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 TBSP Splenda granulated (or sugar)
2 TBSP light butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a 9x9” glass baking pan with cooking spray (I used the baking spray)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, Splenda, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and egg and stir to combine.

Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour and sugar for the topping. Cut the butter into the mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the vanilla and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the top of the cake batter**.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes until the top is golden and the cake is cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

MY SPIN: **Before putting in the oven, I sprinkled the top with cinnamon. My crumbs never come out like crumbs, but the topping sure tasted good! This can be served 'as is' or with some fat-free whipped topping, good vanilla bean ice cream or, for added blueberry flavor, the blueberry sauce recipe I made and will be sharing that recipe as well.

Enjoy!!

Later!

Loving Life.
Peace.
Jan

Peach Banana Choco-Chip Bread

Well, I really needed some Kitchen Therapy the past few days. I not only made this but messed around with my Essential Oils as well (NOT for ingestion tho....made a lovely linen spray). This is a pretty darn good recipe. Yummy peaches from GA.....and I almost always have bananas that are a tad too ripe to just peel and eat. And then I remembered I had some chocolate chips. I only put a little in the bread, but I wanted to put tons in! I promise this is a recipe you'll enjoy.....maybe even with a little butter 'smooshed' on it.





PEACH BANANA CHOCO-CHIP BREAD

Makes 10 Servings

1 cup Splenda granulated (or sugar)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick of light butter at room temperature
2 large eggs (or ½ cup egg substitute)
2 ripe bananas
2 ripe peaches (both pealed and pitted; 1 sliced)**
1 TBSP brown sugar**
1 TBSP 1% milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 9x5x3” loaf pan, set aside.

Don't forget to spray inside your dishwasher so you don't have to clean up the overspray!

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and Splenda (or sugar). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a blender, blend the bananas and 1 peach (not the sliced one) together with a little bit of the milk. Mix in the remainder of the milk and the cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the butter mixture until well combined. Add the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

In the loaf pan, lay out the sliced peaches and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Pour batter over this. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Set on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove bread from the pan and invert onto a cake/loaf plate and cool completely before slicing.

The bottom of the bread

**MY SPIN: The peaches and brown sugar on the bottom were an afterthought, as well as the chocolate chips. When I turned the loaf out of the pan, some of the sliced peaches stayed in the pan so I had a little puzzle to put together before inverting onto the cake plate. But it was worth it because it gave some added flavor and moisture to the bottom of the bread. I think if I make this again, I'll put some of the batter in the pan and then put the sliced peaches and brown sugar and then the rest of the batter. And, of course, I'm never 'careful' when measuring cinnamon....more is better in my world! Whichever way you do it, it's good!

Later!
Loving Life!
Peace.
Jan

Peach Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

Oh does it ever feel good to be doing Kitchen Therapy again!!! And what a wonderful time of the year! So many fresh fruits and veggies out there! I have my own 'personal' Veggie Lady who texts me when she has goodies she knows I like.....there's a wonderful Farmer's Market in town....a lot of other 'town folk' grow wonderful produce.....and if I can't get stuff there, I can always resort to the stores! These peaches, however, are real Georgia peaches.....purchased at a cute little stand someplace in Georgia on our way home from visiting Aunt Marie. The blueberries are from there as well. I love fresh *stuff*!  I've made a Peach Upside-Down Cake and a Blueberry Upside-Down Cake so it just made sense to combine them. And here's the result!  So yummy! Not kidding!!!

 

PEACH BLUEBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Makes 8 Servings

TOPPING:

2 TBSP light butter
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
½ cup fresh blueberries
cinnamon

CAKE:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 TBSP light butter
½ cup Splenda granulated (or sugar)
3 egg whites (or 1/3 cup egg whites from a carton)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup 1% milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 2 TBSP light butter in a 9-inch round cake pan. Heat in the oven until the butter is melted. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the melted butter. Arrange the peaches over this and then 'sprinkle' with the blueberries. Sprinkle this with cinnamon.....however much you want!

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat 3 TBSP light butter and the Splenda (or sugar) with an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in the egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until smooth.

Alternating, add half the flour mixture and then half of the milk; repeat.

Spoon the batter over the fruit and spread evenly.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool @5 minutes on a wire rack and then turn cake upside-down on a plate or cake dish.



Fresh out of the oven!!

This can be served 'as is' or with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

MY SPIN: The cinnamon on the fruit was an afterthought, that's why it's not in the picture of ingredients. But, to know me is to know I love cinnamon and will put it in/on everything possible!

Later!

Loving Life!
Peace.
Jan