Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Baking up Lovely Light BLUEBERRY BLONDIES for #NationalPickBlueberriesDay by Cleo Coyle


Today is National "Pick Blueberries" Day, and I'm celebrating by picking them up at my local grocery store and baking them into a pan of one of my favorite treats for this time of year, Blueberry Blondies

A cross between a cozy blueberry muffin and a more traditional blondie, these babies are delicious with coffee or tea. You'll taste butterscotch background notes thanks to the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. And though they're more "cakey" than a traditional blondie, once cooled, you will get a slightly chewy texture with a nice, crusty top reminiscent of an actual blondie. Best of all, though, this "blueberry" version has less calories and more nutrition. 

Read more in my note below...

👇



A Note from Cleo

Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
by clicking here and here.
This recipe first appeared in one of our most popular Coffeehouse Mysteries, Billionaire Blend, in which our amateur sleuth, single mom and coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, saves the life of a customer who turns out to be a young billionaire. As a thank you, the man hires Clare to create the most exclusive and expensive coffee blend on the planet. She's thrilled...until she can't decide whether her new benefactor is the target of a murderer or trying to make his own killing. 

In the book, Clare serves up these Blueberry Blondies to some very happy customers. And though I'm re-sharing it today for blueberry season, you can make it anytime of year because it works just as well with frozen blueberries.

As for the "healthified" aspect, here's the scoop. While an 8-inch square pan of blondies typically calls for 1 whole stick (8 T.) of butter, my recipe uses only 3 T. butter and includes plenty of blueberries, a superfood that offers nutrition and fiber. 

The key to maintaining the chewy texture with less butter is the astringent ingredient (in this case vinegar, but lemon juice will also work). It interacts with the proteins in the incredible, edible egg--a baker's trick that's been around for years. 


Once strained, Norwegian Egg Coffee
produces a very pretty (and smooth!)
amber-colored beverage. The egg
proteins are what make the magic, as they
do in today's recipe for Blueberry Blondies.
To see my recipe for Norwegian
Egg Coffee, click here.
To see more egg-protein magic of the culinary variety, click here, and read my post about Norwegian Egg Coffee. The egg helps clarify the brew, and a Norwegian chemist explains it all for us. 

May you eat with joy and (slightly) less guilt!

~ Cleo







To download this 
recipe in a free PDF 
document that you can 
print, save, or share, 

Cleo Coyle's
Blueberry Blondies


Makes one 8-inch square pan of blondies 
Cut as you like, in my photos, you see 16 small squares


INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (Do not omit! The vinegar
   interacts with the eggs to create the proper texture.)


1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white, granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (grated rind of a lemon,
   yellow only, no bitter white pith)

1/4 teaspoon table salt (+ a generous pinch)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit 

1/8 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries 



DIRECTIONS: 

Step 1 - Prep oven and pan: Preheat oven to 325° F. Because this is a relatively low fat recipe and blueberries secrete juice as they bake, the best way to prevent sticking is to create a parchment paper sling for your 8-inch square pan (see my photo).




Step 2 – One bowl mixing method: Into a large mixing bowl, break 2 eggs, add the cider vinegar, and whisk well. Add the brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Add the melted (and cooled!) butter and the baking soda. Whisk again until smooth. Now add the flour and switch to a spoon or spatula, stirring well. (Do not over-mix at this point.) Gently fold in the blueberries, trying not to smash or crush them.

Step 3 – Bake: Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan and bake in your well pre-heated 325° F oven for 30 to 40 minutes (exact time depends on your oven). The low temperature and long cooking time helps with even baking. The pan of blondies is done when the top is deep golden brown and firmly set. The slight cracking that you see in my photos (the kind you usually find on the top surface of a brownie or blondie) will appear when the blondies are cooled and cut. 

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently lifting by the parchment paper handles. Cut into 16 small squares and...eat with blueberry joy!
  
  F o o d i e  
Photos


Adding melted (and cooled)
butter to the batter.



Batter is thick but loose enough to pour.
Be sure to even it out in the pan.











To download this recipe
in a free PDF document
that you can 
print, save,
or share, 
click here.
Click for Free Recipe PDF.



Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author
of 
The Coffeehouse Mysteries 


Alice and Marc in Central Park. 
Together we write as Cleo Coyle. 

Learn more about us here.
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8 comments:

  1. My local store had beautiful blueberries yesterday and I bought a bundle. I must have been psychic because I am baking these today! Thanks a bushel, Cleo.

    Marypat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our local blueberries are looking beautiful, too, Marypat. It's a great time of year for baking the blues. I hope you enjoy the blondies!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook

      Delete
  2. I love blondies and can imagine just how wonderful these blueberry blondies will taste! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and baking details ~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome, Celia. My husband loves these. I do, too, and I think they taste best after they've cooled off (the flavors are more balanced that way), but Marc likes to eat them warm, with a little pat of butter on top (like a muffin). However you prefer them, we hope you eat with joy!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook

      Delete
  3. What perfect timing! We are heading to Maine next week and should be able to get the wonderful little wild blueberries to try it out.
    This will be a delightful treat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, have a wonderful trip to Maine, Libby, maybe the best place on the planet to eat blueberries with joy. And thanks for dropping in today, it's always a pleasure to see you in our Kitchen!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook

      Delete
  4. I love blondies & bet the blueberries add a nice touch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do, Jana, it's an easy, tasty recipe, especially nice for blueberry season. But the recipe also works with frozen berries, so you can bake it up in the fall and winter, too. Thanks for dropping in today!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook

      Delete