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Blueberries pack this homey dessert

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED AUG 2, 2020

Blueberry buckle is chock full of juicy fruit. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Recipe: Blueberry buckle has a touch of sour cream

Our blueberry season is ending. It's a great time to

make a buckle.

Blueberry season is wrapping up now in California. The fact that there is even such a thing as a "California blueberry season" is thanks to modern hybridizing, which created blueberry varieties that require less chill to produce fruit.

Packed with antioxidants, blueberries rank among the healthiest foods you can grow. That's helped make blueberries best sellers in produce markets and farmstands.

How to enjoy all those late-season blueberries? This buckle is a twist on an old-fashioned favorite (the difference is sour cream). Basically a giant biscuit with the fruit baked inside, blueberry buckle belongs to the same family of homey coffee cakes and desserts as cobblers, betties and crisps -- all with evocative names. Most of then have a crumbly topping, too.

How do blueberries "buckle"? As it cooks, the fresh blueberries turn into ooey, gooey, juicy filling, encased by sugary biscuit. Fruit packs this easy comfort food -- no ice cream or whipped cream necessary.

Chopped peaches, apples or pears may be substituted for the blueberries.

This homey dessert goes together quickly.
Don't forget the sugary topping!

Blueberry buckle
Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 cups blueberries

For topping;
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch square baking dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening and 3/4 cup sugar. Beat egg and add to mixture.

This buckle is fresh out of the oven. Let it cool for a bit.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Stir together sour cream and milk. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Batter will be stiff. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spread batter into prepared baking dish.

Make topping: In a medium bowl, stir together 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour and cinnamon. Cut butter into cubes, then cut butter into mixture until crumbly. Spread topping over blueberry mixture in baking dish.

Place dish on baking sheet to catch any overflow from fruit. Bake at 375 degrees in center of oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until topping is golden and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (at least batter-wise -- the blueberries will be juicy).

Let cool a few minutes before serving. Cut into nine 3-by-3-inch pieces.

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RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

baking recipes gardening Sacramento farmers markets summer fruit summer produce backyard produce produce management seasonal cooking blueberries

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 19:

Spring will start a bit soggy, but there’s still plenty to do between showers:

* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.

* Watch out for aphids. Wash off plants with strong blast from the hose.

* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.

* Prepare summer vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to fight blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees as they start to blossom.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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