Fresh Berries!

By Kelly Ross

Hello Valley Friends! Well, summer is back, which makes most everyone smile from ear to ear. Traffic is back to its usual insanity as we’ve all expected as the tourists from all points on the compass are flooding into the area for some valley love. Seriously, what’s not to love? We truly have it all as far as outdoor activities, incredible restaurants, a shopping mecca, and some of the most amazing locals I’ve ever known, especially in the hospitality department. In my humble opinion, the area arguably has the greatest down-to-earth people I’ve ever known in my life, who are always going the extra mile for all who need it. You have a lot to be proud of my friends.

In today’s chapter of heavenly delicious recipes, it’s time to talk about one of my favorite things that this time of year has to offer, fresh berries. Fresh garden veggies and fresh berries are just a couple of the things that make summer as awesome as it is. As much as I do love my fresh veggies, if push comes to shove, I’ll take the berries, not that I ever want to be forced into that choice. Today’s recipes will have strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I have 2 insanely yummy coffee cakes, an awesome salad, and 2 desserts that will bring a bunch of smiles, so let’s do this, shall we?

The first coffee cake combines fresh blueberries and strawberries which always makes a great combo. The cake is divine, the streusel topping is as well, and it comes with an equally awesome strawberry glaze for the top. Prep/cook time will take barely an hour, plus it should sit for 15-20 minutes prior to jumping in. This will get you 9 pieces.

Strawberry And Blueberry

Coffee Cake

For The Streusel

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

¾ tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp butter, melted

For The Cake

½ cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter, room temp

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups of a combo of fresh blueberries and chopped fresh strawberries

For The Strawberry Glaze (optional)

¼ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, pureed or mashed

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp milk or so for desired consistency

¾ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch glass square baking dish. To prepare the streusel, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter to a bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Set it aside. To make the cake batter, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream and milk and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix well. Spread half the cake batter into the bottom of the pan. Top the batter with half the berries and half the streusel mixture, then spread the remaining cake batter over streusel. Sprinkle remaining berries and streusel over top of the cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool for about 20 minutes before serving. While it’s resting, puree or mash

¼ cup of fresh or frozen sliced strawberries. Combine the melted butter and confectioners’ sugar with the strawber- ry puree. Add the vanilla extract. Add more confectioners’ sugar or some milk as needed for spreading or drizzling to the proper consistency. Drizzle over the cake and start enjoying it.

The next coffee cake brings raspberries into the equation, as well as cream cheese which is never a bad thing in my book. As opposed to the last recipe being cooked in a square baking dish, this one is a little more traditional as it is cooked in a springform pan. This also comes with a citrus icing recipe if you care to use it. Prep/cook time is like the last recipe but will get you more portions.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For The Filling

¼ cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese, room temp

1 egg white

1 cup raspberries, washed and well drained and dried

For The Cake

1

½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

5 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

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½ cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

¾ cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

For The Streusel Topping

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup flour

3 tbsp butter, chilled and cubed

For The Citrus Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

4 tbsp butter, melted

2-4 tbsp of fresh squeezed orange and/or lemon juice for desired consistency

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper so it overhangs over the sides and spray with pan release. Set it aside. To make the filling, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until creamy. Add egg white and mix on low just to combine. Set that aside. For the cake batter, in a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-low speed. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Spread the cream cheese filling on top. Place raspberries onto cream cheese filling. For the topping, combine sugar, flour, and chilled cubed butter in a bowl. Stir with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. The streusel should be like pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel on top of raspberries. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack, run a thin knife around the cake and loosen the ring of springform pan. For the icing, sift the powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter, 2-3 tbsp of juice of choice to the confectioners’ sugar. Stir to blend, add the zest and more juice, or water, as needed to get you where you need to be. Drizzle the finished glaze over the cooled cake, or on any quick bread, cupcakes, or other desserts for that matter. Serve and enjoy. I suggest that “if” you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge.

It’s salad time, and this one has a bunch of berries in it, as well as chicken, avocado, pistachios, and feta cheese. If all of that doesn’t pique your interest, although not sure how it couldn’t, the dressing that comes with this is almost guaranteed to be a frequent flyer for your many future salads at home. I suggest at least doubling the dressing recipe as you will want to have it again asap. You can throw all this together in 15 minutes and will feed 4.

Berry Mania Chicken Avocado

Salad with a Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

1 lb of chicken breasts, grilled or pain seared, and chopped

2-3 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

2 cups raspberries and/or blackberries

3 avocados, chopped

¼ - ½ cup chopped pistachios

½ cup or more of crumble feta cheese

For The Creamy Lemon Poppyseed

Dressing

2/3 cup mayo

½ cup milk

6 tbsp sugar

2 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 tsp poppyseeds

In a large bowl combine chicken, romaine lettuce and the berries. Toss gently. Top with pistachios, feta cheese and avocado and drizzle with creamy lemon poppyseed dressing. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together all ingredients.

It’s time for some sweet treats, although it could be argued that the coffee cakes qualify as well. Both of these have blueberries and a cheesecake mentality, although they are completely different as this first one is a dessert bar whereas the second is as decadent a 3-level cake as you could possibly ask for. Let’s talk bars first. I love any bar recipe I’ve ever sunk my teeth into, but this one is a little different as it has a cheesecake filling, plus a slew of blueberries in every bite with a scrumptious crumble topping. Prep/cook time is about 1 ½ hours and it does need to chill for 3 hours before digging in.

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

For The Crust

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

6 tbsp butter, melted and then cooled to room temp

For The Cheesecake Filling

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 lb cream cheese, room temp

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temp

2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried, divided

For The Crumble Topping

4 tbsp cold butter

¼ cup flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

¼ cup quick oats

Let’s start with the crust. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish, line it with parchment paper so it overhangs the dish, and spray that as well. Set it aside. Add the graham cracker crumbs, lemon zest, and sugar to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter to the mix and stir until the crumbs are completely coated. Press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes and allow the crust to cool while you make the cheesecake filling. To make it, add the granulated sugar and flour to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Using a standing mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream for 1-1½ minutes until smooth.

Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until incorporated. Add the granulated sugar and flour mixture and continue mixing for 1-1½ more minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until no yellow is visible. Fold 2 cups of the blueberries into the cheesecake filling with a rubber spatula doing your best to not bust up the berries. Spread the cheesecake filling over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of blueberries over the top of the cheesecake filling. For the topping, mix the flour and both sugars well in a bowl. I then suggest using a food processor and adding the cubed cold butter and flour/sugar mixture to it. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the quick oats and pulse just to combine. Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the blueberries. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door open. Allow the cheesecake bars to sit in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow the cheesecake bars to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the cheesecake bars into the refrigerator and allow the bars to chill for 2 hours. Just before you are ready to serve, slice the cheesecake bars into 4 rows by 4 rows with a hot knife, wiping in between cuts. These are outstanding. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

I loved the last one in its simplicity as well as awesome flavor, but this one is over the top. This 3-layer cake has two layers of a lemon blueberry cake, sandwiched around a blueberry cheesecake with a lemon cream cheese frosting. If that doesn’t float your boat, I truly feel sorry for you. This has summer written all over it and can be enjoyed any time, from a special occasion to just any run-of-the-mill day. It’s no mystery that blueberries and lemon are a marriage made in heaven so this should win over almost any crowd. It’s a lot more time consuming

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Lemon Blueberry

Cheesecake Cake

For The Blueberry Cheesecake

¾ cup fresh blueberries

16 oz cream cheese, room temp

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 ½ tsp vanilla

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk at room temp

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup heavy cream

For The Lemon Blueberry Cake

2 cups flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 & 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs plus 1 egg white

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon zest

½ cup milk

3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

3–4 tsp of flour to toss with the blueberries

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz full fat cream cheese, room temp

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp

¼ tsp salt

3 ½ –4 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon zest

For Garnish

Lemon wedges

Fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the cheesecake layer, lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent water from leaking in during the baking while in the water bath. To make the cheesecake, pulse blueberries and cream cheese in a food processor, then transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Mix sugar and flour together in a separate bowl, and slowly add to the blueberry mix and beat until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time mixing after each addition just to combine, do not over mix. Finally, mix in sour cream and heavy cream. Pour the batter into springform pan and smooth the top, then place it in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water in roasting pan halfway up the side of the springform pan and make sure no water drips on the batter. Bake 40-45 minutes or until the center has set. Remove springform pan from water bath, then run a thin knife between the cake and the pan and cool to room temp. Place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to cool completely.

For the lemon blueberry cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles. Sift together 2 cups flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Stir together milk and lemon juice and set aside to curdle. Trust me, this is needed. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add eggs one at a time and mix after each addition. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix to combine. First add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then add half of the milk mixture, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk mixture, and finish with the flour mixture. Mix to combine after each addition, but do not over mix. In a small bowl, gently toss blueberries with flour to coat, then gently fold blueberries into batter, being careful not to break the berries. Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, mix the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until no lumps remain. Do not overbeat before the sugar is added or you may end up with runny frosting. Add vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar until desired sweetness and thickness are reached. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth.

Let’s put this beauty together. Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate and top with a thin layer of lemon cream cheese frosting. Place blueberry cheesecake layer on top of cake, top with thin layer of frosting. Finally, top with the second cake layer and frost cake with remaining frosting, top and sides. Decorate with lemon zest and fresh blueberries. Decorate the top and sides if you have some artistic talent. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting or the cake “may” not set and could fall apart as you cut. Store in the fridge. Incredible!

Enjoy these recipes everyone, have a crazy good next 4 weeks as your summer kicks into full gear, and I’ll see you back next month. If anyone has any questions or feedback, feel free to touch base at fenwaysox10@gmail. com