Sunday, March 10, 2013

Welcome our guest, Amanda Flower


Please welcome our guest, Amanda Flower!! 

Amanda is the author of the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series, which are set in Ohio’s Amish Country. Her newest novel is A Plain Scandal and fictionalizes the 2011 true crime Amish haircutting scandal. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan for NAL/Penguin and children’s mysteries under her own name for Zondervan/HarperCollins. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland.

Amish Blueberry Cake


The Amish are famous for their baked goods, especially their pies. However, I find the idea of making a pie from scratch a little daunting. I may write about expert bakers in my Amish mysteries, but I am not among them. Sometimes I find simple drop cookies to be taxing. When Daryl asked me to stop by Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen to share an Amish mystery, I knew I want to do something simple and tasty.

I not only chose Amish Blueberry Cake because of my personal skill level but because it demonstrates one of the keys to Amish baking and cooking: simplicity. The Amish use simple and accessible ingredients in their food. Amish blueberry cake is no exception. Everything an Amish cook needs for the recipe can be found in her kitchen with the addition of seasonal fresh blueberries picked from her garden or received from a neighbor. Make this recipe for your family, and you are sure to have a treat that both children and adults will just plain love. Enjoy!



Amish Blueberry Cake

½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose
3 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs. Add some of the four sifted with salt and baking soda, blend slowly adding milk and the rest of the flour. Add washed blueberries to batter.



 Pour in a 9x12 baking pan and bake at 325F for 45 minutes. 


Let cool, cut to size, and enjoy!



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15 comments:

  1. thanks for visiting us Amanda! I love anything blueberry, so this goes in the stack to be tried.

    I'm in awe of how you get so much done!

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    1. Thank you, Lucy! I love blueberries too. Reminds me of summer which is getting closer every day. :)

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  2. Welcome, Amanda! When my father lived in Lancaster County, I used to drive through Amish farm country to get to his house, and I'd often stop at farmers' markets along the way. This recipe sounds lovely.

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    1. That sound like a lovely memory. I've never been Lancaster Co. I'm going this summer for a research trip. It will be fun to see how the Amish differ from the ones in my part of Ohio.

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  3. It sounds wonderful-and easy. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  4. Welcome, Amanda! This looks delish and easy too. It's a keeper.

    Thanks for visiting us at MLK, you busy gal, and good luck with the new book.

    MJ and Victoria

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  5. Rustic cooking is a comfort, and comfort foods are among my favorites. Thanks for sharing this charming recipe, Amanda, and congratulations on the release of your intriguing new mystery. There is much to admire in the Amish, isn't there? Especially their spirit of community. Thanks for joining us today in the Kitchen. Have a wonderful Sunday!

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    1. Thank you so much! The Amish culture is fascinating!

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  6. Looks yummy. I went to college in central PA and there was a weekly farmer's market. My first stop was at a table run by an Amish family to get a snitz (apple) pie (hand size) to eat as I walked around.

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    1. Oh! In Ohio, the Amish call those fry pies. It's interesting they have a difference name in PA. The novel I'm writing now is called "Foul Play and Fry Pies." ;)

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    2. Are they actually fried? I think the ones I got were baked.

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  7. Amanda, love the whole setting of the Amish country. As you know, my Cheese Shop Mysteries are set in the same area and I've spent time there, savoring the culture. Lovely.

    Daryl aka Avery

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    1. Thank you, Daryl! Thank you so much for inviting me to share a recipe!

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  8. I think this is the best kind of baking. Simple, clean, good basic ingredients. It just doesn't get any better.

    I have to say that I'm partial to the Amish chicken one of the local stores carries. They tell me people drive two hours to stock up on it!

    Thanks for joining us today, Amanda!

    ~Krista

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