Blueberry Banana Bread

 

 Wow, the weather is soooo beautiful right now in Florida. The heat of the summer is just around the corner so I am trying to get out there and enjoy it while I can. Right now it is blueberry season, woohoo! 

We went a pickin' this week. The berries still have some ripening to do but we got enough to do some baking. Aren't they gorgeous?!

I love Southern Hill Farms. It's close to home, they have several different types of berries and best of all they have a little shop that sells stuff! Along with my blueberry lemonade I picked up this blueberry chapstick. It smells soooo good!

I have some rotting bananas on my counter top that I would never dream of tossing cuz you know what that means....banana bread!! I used my tried but true banana bread recipe and threw in a cup of blueberries. So taaaasty! 

The bread is a very old fashioned and easy recipe. I've tried tons of banana bread recipes, some with oil, some with shortening and some with butter. Some fancy pantsy recipes with creme fraiche and some with good ole sour cream. This one is my fav. It can be mixed by hand and in one bowl. It's always super tender, not too sweet and doesn't stick to the pan on me. I think the key is the bananas. They have to be beyond ripe. Like to the point where you do not want to touch them because they look so nasty ripe. To the point where you think they are too far gone and might be liquefied ripe.  To the to the point that you have a flock of fruit flies ringing your door bell ripe. Yeah, like that.

The recipe is foolproof and easy or as The Bellman would say, "easy peasy Doc and Sneezy". I love it!!


BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD
Yield = 1 loaf

3 bananas 
6 TBL melted butter 
1 C cup sugar 
1 egg, beaten 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
1 tsp baking soda 
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
salt, pinch 
1 1/2 C flour + 2 TBL (separated) 
1 C blueberries 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a loaf pan. Really butter it--not that spray stuff or shortening.  I swear it makes a difference.

2. Toss fresh blueberries with about 2 tablespoons of flour and set aside. This will coat them enough to keep them from sinking to the bottom of your batter.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the melted butter.

4. Mix in the baking soda and salt and cinnamon. 

5. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. 

6. Fold in the flour until just combined. (be gentle:)

7. Fold in the blueberries

8. Pour into buttered loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.

9. Remove from oven. When the pan is cool enough to handle, remove the loaf from the pan onto a rack and let cool for approx. 1 hour. When the loaf is almost room temperature wrap it up in tin foil. The remaining warmth will steam the loaf making it really moist and tender.


*this recipe is great without the blueberries, too.  Try leaving them out and adding a handful of walnuts, yum!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Crunch Muffins

YAY, It's blueberry season here in Florida!  It is an easy season to miss because apparently it only lasts for a split second due to the humidity and birds.  Last year the Bellman planted a few blueberry bushes in our backyard.   Long since forgotten I went and checked on the poor things today and I'm pretty sure there won't be much of a harvest happening here.

So off into the wild blue yonder I go for what is in my opinion, the very best place for blueberries:  The Blue Bayou Farm in lovely Yalaha, Florida.  The folks are super nice and the berries very yum but mostly I like this farm because of its location---right next door to a wonderful German Bakery.  Believe me, I take full advantage of that location!

I brought home a couple pounds of berries and plan to put them to good use. Just look at how beautiful they are!

I'm starting with my friend Diana's famous Blueberry Crunch Muffins.  When she says she has an awesome recipe to share...I'm all in.  Diana and I have known one another since 7th grade Art class and survived the 80s together.  Like, toooh-tally . 

Diana says she makes these muffins year round with fresh or frozen berries and sometimes substitutes raspberries for the blueberries.  Either way they always turn out tasty.

CRUNCH TOPPING

1/2C flour
1/2C brown sugar
1/2C oatmeal
1/2C coconut
1tsp cinnamon
1/4C butter, melted

1.  Combine all and set aside.


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:
Yield: 13 muffins

1C berries (fresh or frozen)
2C plus 1tbl flour
2/3C sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1/2tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1C buttermilk
1 1/2tsp vanilla
6tbl butter, melted and cooled

1.  Toss washed and dried berries with 1 tablespoon of flour.  Set aside.  This little bit of flour helps the berries stay suspended in the batter while baking.  We don't want them sinking to the bottom.
2.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3.  Add egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to over mix as this will make your muffins tough.
4.  Fold in berries.
5.  Fill greased muffin tins with batter and top each with an equal amount of crunch topping.
6.  Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Righteous muffins Diana, enjoy!