You're Turning Violet, Violet

Gosh dang, I'm a slacker. Not in the cooking department or in the blogging department, for that matter. But when it comes to blogging what I cook, yikes, I suck. Perhaps you'll forgive me when you enjoy a slice of old-fashioned buckle for breakfast tomorrow. No? Well, what if it's full of blueberries and topped with the most perfect streusel topping you've ever experienced?


I was feeling a bit remorseful after convincing my mom to buy me a giant, not so cheap, tub of blueberries. It's not that they weren't delicious, but I can only eat so much in so many days. I knew they were going to go soft on me if I didn't use them fast. I couldn't bear the waste. Fortunately, I stumbled across a Cooks Illustrated recipe for a Blueberry Buckle from the American Classics magazine edition, before I had to gorge myself a la Violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factor.

The recipe is simple, and the streusel is divine. In fact, if I didn't have better manners I might have kept the entire lid of the cake for myself.


Blueberry Buckle, from Cooks Illustrated

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of table salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
4 cups, fresh blueberries

1.For streusal: In mixer, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt on low speed. Add butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand. There shouldn't be any large pieces of butter. Set aside.

2. For cake: Preheat over to 350. Butter a 9 inch round baking pan. Fit parchment paper in the bottom, butter, and dust with flour all over.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in a small bowl. In mixer, blend butter, sugar, salt, and zest until well combined. Add vanilla, blend. Add eggs one at a time on low speed until just incorporated. Slowly add in flour mixture until barely combined.

4. Remove the bowl from your mixer and add the blueberries by hand. The batter with be very thick, so you'll have to fold the berries in very slowly. Scoop into the pan and gently flatten out. Top with streusal by clumping it between your fingers first before breaking it apart.

5. Bake for 55 minutes or until the top is dark golden brown and the center is firm. Let cool for 30 minutes to an hour before removing from the pan.