Blueberry Kuchen

A really nice, easy dish that goes together with things in your pantry and freezer and comes out of the oven in 45 minutes smelling and tasting wonderful! I used frozen blueberries from last years crop and some frozen lemon zest and juice. You can easily “take to” or “give to” this dish. This cookbook from Reader’s Digest, “Taste of Home: The New Potluck”, has some really great recipes for the neighborly thingy. You can find it at Amazon or some of the recipes here.

Blueberry Kuchen (changed somewhat from the original)

Makes 16 3 1/4″ X 2 1/4″ servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel*
1/2-1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg**
1/4 tsp salt
Combine in a mixing bowl and add:
2/3 C whole milk
1/4 C melted unsalted butter
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat mixture for 2-3 minutes until smooth and pour into a 9″ X 13″ pyrex greased pan.
Sprinkle with:
2 C blueberries tossed with 1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice*
In another bowl mix the topping:
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C white whole wheat flour
1/4 C melted unsalted butter
Mix the topping with a fork and sprinkle over the blueberries.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and cut into 16 pieces.

Next time, I think I’ll change the topping somewhat by adding some toasted pecans, change the white sugar to brown sugar and add 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg for a little “zip”. You milage may vary.

*I keep lemon, lime and orange peel in my freezer, and it works as well as fresh. AND I keep fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice in 1 T frozen cubes. When lemons or limes are on sale, buy some and spent an evening zesting and squeezing and freezing!
**Nutmeg nuts are sooooo cheap. About 20 cents a piece. I bought 5 last year($1.00!) and am on my last. I grate what I want when I want and it is always fragrant and fresh tasting. (Use nutmeg in eggs, breads and bread pudding, ice cream, white sauces, cream brulee, winter squash, baked spinach, Greek seasonings and meats, cookies, kuchen, etc…)

Tags: cooking wisdom, Food, Frugality, Fruit, Recipe, Teaching