Blueberry Butter Food

BLUEBERRY APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Place apples in a slow cooker. Cook on High, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened and broken down, about 3 hours. Add blueberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves; stir to combine. Lower temperature to Low. Simmer until apple butter is thickened, stirring often, 8 hours.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack apple butter into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

SIMPLE BLUEBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Topping
• Stir brown sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl. Add butter; stir until blended. Set aside.
• Cake
• Lightly grease and flour 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan. Set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until blended.
• Stir flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl. Add a third of flour mixture to egg mixture; beat just until blended. Add half of milk mixture, beat just until blended. Continue alternating flour mixture and milk until both are incorporated into batter. Add blueberries; mix batter gently by hand just until combined. Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.
• Bake in preheated 350˚F (180˚C) oven until toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

BLUEBERRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Wash the berries and let them dry on a paper towel.
• Allow the butter to come to room temperature so it will soften.
• Slightly mash the berries.
• Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate.

BLUEBERRY BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Roll out pastry and cut to fit tart tins (I use mini tarts but you can use muffin tins-this will increase the cooking time) preheat oven to 375°F.
• In large bowl, whisk egg, syrup, lemon juice and vanilla.
• In medium bowl, mix sugar and flour.
• Stir into egg mixture with butter.
• Divide berries into uncooked pastry shells.
• Pour egg mixture to top of shells.
• Bake 18-23 minutes.
• Remove tarts from tins immediately or the sugar will harden and they will stick tarts will firm up as they cool.

BLUE CORNMEAL PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Blueberry butter:
• Add the butter, blueberries, preserves, coriander, and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth. (Store in the fridge, wrapped in paper or plastic, or in a butter keeper, for up to 5 days; or freeze for up to 3 months.)
• Tip: A stick of butter coming out of the fridge can take a surprisingly long time to come to room temperature. To speed it up, cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and leave on the counter; it should be at room temp in 10 to 12 minutes.
• Pancakes:
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil until smooth.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until just combined. Do not overmix. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 2 heaping tablespoons of batter for each pancake. With the back of the spoon, gently spread the batter into a 3- to 4-inch circle. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and the center of the pancake feels slightly firm to the touch, another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve the pancakes hot with the blueberry butter and maple syrup.
• Note: *Judy Kuhn is a brilliant Broadway actor who also just happens to be the singing voice of Pocahontas. It should also be noted that Vanessa Williams did a great job with the pop version of the song, which played over the closing credits.

BLUEBERRY-LEMON PIE WITH A BUTTER CRUST

Steps:

• For the flaky butter pie crust: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until the largest pieces are the size of small peas and the mixture begins to clump on the pastry blender. Shuffle through the mixture with your hands, pinching chunks of fat to flatten them.
• Stir the vinegar and 5 tablespoons ice water together in a bowl. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir with a fork. Pinch a clump of dough in your hands: If it feels moist and clumps together easily, it's probably hydrated enough. If it feels really crumbly, add another tablespoon or two of ice water until you can form a baseball-size clump of dough, packing it on as if you were making a snowball.
• Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flat disk. Wrap both disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Thirty minutes before you're ready to roll out the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature to soften. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the blueberry filling: In a bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest and juice and mix until combined.
• Dust a worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll out one dough disk a little less than 1¿4 inch thick, about 14 inches in diameter. Fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Unfold. Press the dough into the corners, leaving the overhang for now. Refrigerate the first crust while you roll out the second disk of dough.
• Remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator and fill it with the berry mixture. Tuck the pats of cold butter beneath the top layer of berries. Top with the second piece of dough, and trim both to a 1/2-inch overhang around the pie. Tuck the overhang into a roll and crimp the edge, pressing down to hook some of the dough over the edge of the dish, holding the pie. Cut a hole in the center of the pie, as well as some decorative vents.
• Brush the top of the pie with cream and dust it with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. Cover the edges of the pie with foil and continue to bake until the center juices bubble and thicken, 25 to 35 minutes more.
• Let the pie cool until it is just warm to the touch before slicing and serving. Top with ice cream.