How to Make Blueberry Buckle for Labor Day

Blueberry buckle is an old-fashioned name for something that looks very much like a coffee cake. In regular cakes, batter and topping may mix during baking, but blueberry buckle is different. Because the batter is heavy, it tends to settle on the bottom and never mixes with the topping. Blueberry buckle is a classic American dessert commonly served during Labor Day.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tps. baking powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• For topping:
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups blueberries
• For cake:
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar

1. Wash the blueberries with warm water in a colander. While washing, discard any that are broken or soft to the touch.

2. Mix the dry ingredients for the cake first. Then add the eggs and the milk and mix continuously. For best results, use an electric mixer.

3. Add the blueberries and use a wooden spoon to mix them up into the batter. Do it gently so the blueberries don't get crushed.

4. Put the batter into a greased baking dish. The mix will rise significantly during baking, so make sure you choose a deep dish. A dish 8 inches deep or more will probably work best.

5. Mix all ingredients for the topping on a separate bowl. The result should be a sandy brownish batter.

6. Spoon them over the top of the batter. Don't press down or mix.

7. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 C). You can find out whether the buckle is done by inserting a clean knife into the middle of it. If the knife comes back clean, the buckle is finished.

8. Let the buckle cool for at least 10 minutes before attempting to cut it. If you try cutting it when it's too hot, you risk destroying the blueberries.

Tips & Warnings

• Blueberry buckle freezes well. You can save any portion that you don't eat during Labor Day festivities for up to 3 months.
• Make an extra batch (or several) and freeze without cooking it, so you can relive the Labor Day experience later in the month.
• Serve blueberry buckle with black tea or coffee rather than with cold drinks.
• While mixing the dry ingredients, the batter will become hard and may even stop the electric mixer. Add some extra milk if the batter becomes too hard.
• Although you can use a low-calorie sweetener as a substitute for real sugar, be aware many low and zero calorie sweeteners have an aftertaste that may change the flavor of the recipe.

[BrightScarf]

on 1/26/2009 Sounds tasty!You've got lots of great tips for making it, thanks for writing this!