Lemonade is a wonderful refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day. Sometimes I like just plain old-fashioned lemonade and, other times, I like to flavor it using whatever berries are currently in season. My latest lemonade creation uses high bush blueberries to make blueberry lemonade concentrate. Fill a glass about one third full of the concentrate and top it up with lemon-lime soda for a tasty drink. You can, of course, top up the concentrate with lemon-flavored sparkling water instead of the soda. Continue reading Blueberry Lemonade Recipe→
There are many ways to make blueberry pie but I have found that this is one of the tastiest. It’s also a great alternative to anyone who is not overly fond of double-crusted pies as this one is all about the filling!
Now, I love blueberries but sometimes I find they need a little help with a flavour boost. That’s why I have created this recipe for a blueberry filling that adds a gentle amount of cinnamon and nutmeg along with some orange juice and orange rind. To add a bit of depth and complexity to the flavor, I add a couple of tablespoons of Grand Marnier liqueur after the filling has cooked and been removed from the heat. This is an optional ingredient but a lovely flavor addition to the pie if you have the liqueur on hand.
As with any food, it is important to know what flavor combinations work and will complement each other. Cinnamon and nutmeg are two spices that go well with blueberries and, of course, blueberry and orange have long been a successful flavor combo. The other thing that is important is not to add in too many different flavors (or too much of any one additional flavor) as that can confuse the palate, detract from the authentic blueberry flavor, and not have the desired result. Sometimes less really is more!
The blueberries I used in this recipe are locally-grown here on PEI. Over the past few years, a number of high bush blueberry u-picks have begun operating around the Island. These are the lovely, large plump blueberries which are very easy to pick off bushes so no need to get down on hands and knees to find them. They grown in clusters on the vine, almost like grapes and are quick, easy, and clean to pick. When these blueberries are in season in August and early September, we always have them fresh. The berries freeze well and this pie can certainly be made with the frozen berries so it can be enjoyed at any time throughout the year.
PEI Blueberries
This is one of the those pies that is best eaten the day it is made so plan to make the pie early in the morning, let it chill for the afternoon, and enjoy it with a dollop of whipped cream as a special dessert treat for dinner.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
[printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients:
9” baked pie shell, cooled
6 oz. cream cheese, softened 3 tbsp sugar 1½ tbsp milk ½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup granulated sugar 3½ tbsp cornstarch Dash salt ¼ tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp finely grated orange rind 12 oz. high bush blueberries (apx. 2½ cups) 2 tsp orange juice 2 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur ½ tbsp butter
1 cup whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tbsp sugar
Method:
In small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over bottom of baked and cooled pie shell. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
In small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated orange rind together. In medium-sized saucepan, combine the blueberries, orange juice, and cornstarch-sugar-spice mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier liqueur and butter. Let mixture cool to room temperature then spread over chilled cream cheese base. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set.
Beat whipping cream and vanilla until soft peaks form then slowly beat in the sugar. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to each individual pie serving or, alternatively, completely cover chilled pie with the whipped cream. Refrigerate until use. Pie is best eaten the day it is made. (Note: Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream, if desired.)
Yield: One 9” pie.
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
Connect with My Island Bistro Kitchen on Social Media
Follow “the Bistro” on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.ca/peibistro/ and pin the Pinterest-ready photo at the end of this posting to your favorite Pinterest boards!
For my pastry recipe along with hints and tips on making pastry, clickhere.
A luscious and decadent blueberry cream cheese pie that combines high bush blueberries with cinnamon, nutmeg and orange liqueur flavorings
Ingredients
9” baked pie shell, cooled
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp sugar
1½ tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup granulated sugar
3½ tbsp cornstarch
Dash salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
12 oz. high bush blueberries (apx. 2½ cups)
2 tsp orange juice
2 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur
½ tbsp butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
In small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over bottom of baked and cooled pie shell. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
In small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated orange rind together. In medium-sized saucepan, combine the blueberries, orange juice, and cornstarch-sugar-spice mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier liqueur and butter. Let mixture cool to room temperature then spread over chilled cream cheese base. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set.
Beat whipping cream and vanilla until soft peaks form then slowly beat in the sugar. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to each individual pie serving or, alternatively, completely cover chilled pie with the whipped cream. Refrigerate until use. Pie is best eaten the day it is made. (Note: Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream, if desired.)
Today, I am sharing my recipe for Blueberry and Grand Marnier Jam! Blueberry and orange are a great flavor combo so why not add a little kick to the jam by adding an orange-flavored liqueur. This does add a level of richness and flavor complexity to the jam. Continue reading Blueberry and Grand Marnier Jam Recipe→
A number of years ago, a couple in North Tryon, PEI, began a high-bush blueberry U-pick. The berries are so easy to pick and the bushes are just laden with these huge plump blueberries. They are super yummy in Blueberry Muffins! Continue reading Blueberry Muffins→
Do you ever have a craving for comfort foods? You know, the foods that are basic, nostalgic, or that you have a sentimental attachment to and that take you down memory lane. Some might even refer to these dishes as vintage. Maybe your mom made them for you when you were a child or you remember them from visits to grandma’s house. I’m talking about foods like macaroni and cheese, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, apple pie or crisp, homemade stews and “boiled dinners“, and baked bread. Cottage pie, rice pudding, roast chicken dinners, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and fruit cobblers are other comfort foods commonly enjoyed in North American culture. There are many other dishes that bring us comfort, especially in the cold Canadian winters, so this list is not exhaustive and what constitutes comfort food may vary between cultures and regions of Canada.
These foods, in their traditional content, are by no means gourmet fare nor are they necessarily devoid of calories. They’re typically plain and simple stick-to-the-ribs kind of fare and they generate feelings of contentment and satisfaction … you feel warm and cozy when eating the meal. These kinds of dishes take basic, easy-to-find ingredients and are not usually difficult or complicated to make. They’re the kinds of foods that, when you walk into a home where they are being prepared, your appetite is immediately whetted and you harken back to early memories of enjoying those foods. They are hearty classics and endure over time, generation after generation. Yes, even the old tuna casserole is still considered a comfort food by many!
Today, I am sharing my recipe for Blueberry Grunt. I don’t know the origin of this dessert or how it got its name but it’s really just a baked fruit dessert – a slightly thickened fruit sauce on the bottom topped by a biscuit-like dumpling. This dessert is often made on the stove top where the dumplings are put in the pot on top of the bubbling blueberry sauce, covered and let simmer for about 15 minutes. However, my recipe calls for the dessert to be baked in the oven.
Baked Blueberry Grunt
My featured Island product in this recipe are the blueberries. Each summer, I pack away several bags of these sweet little Island-grown morsels for use in my favorite recipes like this one for Blueberry Grunt.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Blueberry Grunt
Ingredients: 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp cardamon
Topping: 2 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 1/2 tbsp white sugar 1 cup milk 2 1/2 tbsp cold butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Stir in the grated lemon rind. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine blueberries and the sugar mixture. Add the lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough mixture that will cling together.
Grease a 1 1/2 or 2-quart baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Spoon the blueberry mixture into baking dish(es).
Divide the dumpling dough into 8 portions.
Place dumplings over blueberry mixture (close together if baking in one casserole or centered if using individual dishes).
Bake in 400F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until dumplings are done and lightly golden brown on top.
Serve hot or warm with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both!).
An easy to prepare comfort dessert, Blueberry Grunt consists basically of blueberries baked in a flavorful sauce under tea biscuit dumplings. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream and/or whipping cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword blueberries, blueberry grunt
Servings8
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
Blueberry Base:
4cupsblueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2cupwhite sugar
2tbspbrown sugar
1tbsp+ 1 tsp cornstarch
2tsplemon juice
1 1/2tspgrated lemon rind
1/2cupwater
1/2tspcinnamon
1/4tspnutmeg
1/8tspcardamom
Topping:
2cupsflour
4tspbaking powder
1/4tspsalt
2 1/2tbspwhite sugar
1cupmilk
2 1/2tbspcold butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Stir in the grated lemon rind. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine blueberries and the sugar mixture. Add the lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough mixture that will cling together.
Grease a 1 1/2 or 2-quart baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Spoon the blueberry mixture into baking dish(es).
Divide the dumpling dough into 8 portions.
Place dumplings over blueberry mixture (close together if baking in one casserole or centered if using individual dishes).
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until dumplings are done and lightly golden brown on top.
Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both!).
Recipe Notes
Yield: 8 servings
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
Connect with My Island Bistro Kitchen on Social Media
Follow “the Bistro” on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.ca/peibistro/ and pin the Pinterest-ready photo found at the end of this post to your favorite Pinterest boards.
You may also enjoy these other blueberry dessert recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen:
