Blueberry Coffee Cake

Happy New Year!!

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of Sean and Erin's Christmas break.....this was the quickest two weeks ever.

Caitie leaves in two weeks, her stay is already half-over.

The credit for the inspiration for today's recipe belongs to Caitie.  We were at the supermarket, and pints of blueberries were buy-one-get-one-free and I wondered aloud what I could do with that many blueberries....and she promptly responded, "you could make that blueberry cake....you know, the one with the crunchy topping that Sean likes to pick off (it's true, when he was younger he would gradually pick off all the crunchy topping, leaving a bald coffeecake on my counter.  Erin even came up with a name for it: chiseling) and the glaze over the whole thing."

So I used one pint of blueberries to make the coffeecake........and now I have to figure out what to do with the other pint.  Any good blueberry recipes, anyone?

Today's Playlist

• "It Ends Tonight"........All-American Rejects
• "Somebody Told Me".......The Killers
• "Someday".......The Strokes
• "New Soul"......Yael Naim
• "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky"......Me First & The Gimme Gimmes
• "Lyin' In The Name Of Love"......Joe Louis Walker
• "Love You Madly"........Cake
• "What I Got".......Sublime
• "On My Way".......Billy Boy On Poison
• "Jerk It Out"..........Caesars

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake (adapted from Betty Crocker's "Best of Baking") 

serves 9

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot water

Gather your ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 9" square or 9" round pan.

Prepare Crumb Topping: 

If you are like me and forgot to soften your butter, soften it in the microwave.

Heat the butter for 30 seconds on 50% power.

This is what my softened butter looks like.  Oh, well.  At least it's not totally melted.

Add remaining crumb topping ingredients:  the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Stir it up with a fork and it will be crumbly.

Set it aside and prepare your cake ingredients.

I also forgot to soften my butter for the coffeecake.  So I'm going to cream it with the sugar 'til it's fluffy.

I don't want to melt it, because it will upset the whole baking process.

No, not really.  I think.  I don't know.  All I know is that melting it doesn't seem right.  What's happening to me?  Note to self:  you should make a New Year's resolution to be more decisive and take-charge.

Here's my butter now, creamed with the sugar, it's soft and easily mixable.  Is that even a word?  Uh-oh, here I go again.  So much for the New Year's resolution.

Blend in the rest of the cake ingredients, except for the blueberries.

Oooh, I like the way that looks in bold print.  Very decisive.  Maybe my New Year's resolution is taking hold.

Add the flour

baking powder

salt

milk

and egg.

Yes, that is a measuring cup that my egg is in.  No, I don't measure my eggs, I just like to crack them into a measuring cup or other container so that I don't get shells in my mixture.  It has happened, believe me.  I've lost my grip on whole eggs and they've dropped into my mixer while it was mixing.  I've learned to be careful.

I think this bold type thing is really working for me.  Are you feeling my take-charge energy?

Beat your ingredients for 30 seconds.

Carefully stir in the blueberries.

There you go.

Spread the batter in your greased pan.

Sprinkle with the reserved crumb topping.

And there you have it.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the record, mine took 55 minutes to bake.

While your coffeecake is baking, prepare the glaze.

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Add the vanilla,

and water.  Stir with a fork.  Add water, tiny amounts at a time, if necessary, until the glaze is a good drizzling consistency.  Not too thick, not too watery.

Hard for you to tell, but this is just right.

When your coffeecake is done, remove it from the oven,

and drizzle it with the glaze

while it is still warm.

Because you will want to eat it while it is still warm.

 Because it is so good while it is still warm.

Enjoy!!