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Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter, or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray, six - 8 ounce (240 ml) ramekins or heatproof cups.

Streusel Topping: In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, and ground cinnamon. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Cake Batter: In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), and beat only until combined. Spread about 1/4 cup (65 grams) of the batter into the bottom of each ramekin, smoothing the tops.

Filling: In a large bowl, mix together the blueberries, lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Place about 1/2 cup (75 grams) of the blueberries into each ramekin, and then sprinkle each with about 1/3 cup (35 grams) of the streusel topping.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the streusel has browned and the blueberry filling starts to bubble. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 - 8 ounce (240 ml) servings.

Aaah, Blueberry Buckle. Summer would not be the same without this old fashioned homey dessert. It's hard to resist soft and sweet blueberries sandwiched between a crunchy streusel and a buttery sweet white cake. While normally it's baked in one large pan, and there is a recipe on the site done that way, for this recipe I decided to make individual servings. Blueberry Buckle is delicious warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. And if there are any leftovers, just cover and refrigerate, as it's also very good eaten cold when the streusel has turned wonderfully hard and crunchy. If blueberries are out of season you can also make a Buckle with other berries, like raspberries and/or blackberries.

Have you ever wondered why this dessert is called a Buckle? I have, so I decided to look up "buckle" in the dictionary. The first definition given was for the clasp on your belt. No help there. But upon further reading, 'buckle' was also defined as "to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse" which, when you think about it, is exactly what happens to a blueberry buckle as it bakes. That is because, during baking, the baking powder in the cake causes the buckle to rise. But with all those blueberries and streusel on top of the cake batter, the cake rises unevenly, thereby giving it that 'buckled' look.

Blueberries are native to North America which means if you live in the right place you may be able to pick your own. For the rest of us there are cultivated berries which are much larger in size and lighter in color. Both types are wonderfully sweet with just a touch of tartness. If taste isn't enough to get you to eat these berries, their health benefits will; rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, high in potassium, and low in sodium. When buying blueberries, look for firm, plump, fragrant, dark blue berries with a dusty white bloom. The white bloom is the blueberry's natural protection against the sun and is a sign of freshness. Always check the underside of the container for any wet spots or staining. Discard any soft, moldy, or crushed berries.