Tag: Blueberries

Fran’s Blueberry Cake

Fran’s Blueberry Cake

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from The Northfield Cookbook (1957)

About the Recipe

Every summer, as we get closer to fall a few things are sure to happen: School starts, it gets way hotter than it feels like it should, everyone is freckled and tanned, and Pablo’s going to do an asado. A feast for kings of meat upon meat with sides and cold beverages. And every summer at the asado, I bring the dessert. Usually a blueberry one as the last of the season comes around the bend. This year, it was Fran’s Blueberry Cake.

For a hectic time of year, this cake was absolutely perfect. Literally dump everything in the mixer, run it on stir setting for a minute or two. Finish it with a spatula. Dump into the pan. Bake. DONE!

The result is a light, fluffy cake with a bit of a crisp on top from the caramelized sugar sprinkled on top. It was the perfect counter to the heavy, meaty meal. And with how easy it is to bake, I know this is going to be a regular in my kitchen.

About the book

The history of this book is so freaking cool. I got it from a friend who was helping to liquidate her partner’s mother’s extensive collection of cookbooks. The Northfield School for Girls exists today as part of Northfield Mount Hermon, a private school in Massachusetts. It boasts many famous alumni including Laura Linney, Natalie Cole, Uma Thurman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bette Davis, and more. Such a lovely snapshot into history.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Mix above ingredients together all at once. Pour into a greased 8″ square pan; sprinkle top with sugar. Bake at 350*F for 1/2 hour.

Wonderful served hot with ice cream!

Blueberry Cream Pie

Blueberry Cream Pie

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Fabulous Pies from Pillsbury (1961)

About the Recipe

This year’s July 4th weekend also happened to be the 10th anniversary of our beautiful house in High Falls, NY. We had a few friends over to hang out and barbecue. Clearly a festive dessert was in order. With blueberries in season, this looked to be the perfect fit.

This pie definitely takes a bit of time to make with more than a few steps to get there. But oh wow was it ever worth it! A few tips and tricks to get you to the finish line:

  • I used a butter pie crust recipe that my grandma passed down to me for this one. If you decide to make your own, don’t forget to refrigerate it overnight. Especially when you’re blind baking (baking with no pie filling) it makes a massive difference. That said – feel free to use a premade crust. Totally fine, just make sure to roll it out a little bit so it fits the 9-inch pie plate.
  • I used fresh blueberries instead of frozen without a problem. Just cook them with a tiny bit of water until they start to break down before running through the rest of the recipe.
  • I added some fresh lemon zest into the filling along with the lemon juice. No regrets.
  • My only error (and it wasn’t critical) is that I used instant pudding instead of cook and serve. I’ll definitely go for the cook and serve next time. It would have made for a more set pie. But again – not a critical failure, just a slightly less set pie.

That’s it! This is a fantastic pie, and great to make ahead and take with you next day. I might even say that it was better on day 2. Maybe.

Enjoy!

About the Book

This is such a cute little booklet. Classic mid-century illustrations accompany a note from the (fictional) Ann Pillsbury. It’s definitely worth grabbing for all the creative recipes inside.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:
Pastry for one-crust 9-inch pie
1/2 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup water
2 2/3 cup frozen (or fresh! see my notes!) blueberries (from a 12-oz. pkg.), separated
1 T butter
2 t lemon juice
1 package vanilla pudding and pie filling
2 cups milk
whipped cream

Directions:

Prepare the pastry for your pie crust. Prick generously with fork. Bake at 450*F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Cool.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Blend in water. Then add 1 cup of your blueberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter and lemon juice. Stir in remaining blueberries. Spread in cooled baked pie shell.

Prepare your vanilla pudding and pie filling with milk as directed on package. Cool 5 minutes after cooking, stirring twice. Pour over blueberries. Cool 30 minutes, then chill until set, (Note: if you use instant pudding, spread once thickened then chill right away) 1 to 2 hours before serving. Spread top with thin layer of whipped cream.