rain and blueberries

I love the mountain thundershowers that cool the afternoons in July. Perfect for reading, napping, baking. And I love blueberries--the lemon blueberry coffee cake below is one of our family's favorites. It's light and not too sweet. 

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake (recipe from my Light Desserts cookbook):

3 cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. low fat milk

3 T. vegetable oil

1 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon extract

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 T. of flour mixture over blueberries and toss gently to coat; set aside.

Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy (3-5 min). Combine milk and oil. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating at low speed of an electric mixer until blended. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter into 10 inch tube pan that has been coated with cooking spray and dusted with flour. Bake at 350  degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 T. fresh lemon juice; Stir well. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

This banana blueberry bread is easy to make and delicious, served warm from the oven with butter and honey.

 Banana Blueberry Bread:

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup agave nectar (add more for extra sweetness, up to about 3/4 cup, or substitute honey)

2 c. flour (I use half whole wheat flour)

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. fresh blueberries

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Combine butter, agave nectar, vanilla, and egg.  Add bananas. Toss blueberries in a little bit of flour to coat. Add flour, soda, salt, baking powder. Fold in blueberries and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F oven for about 50 minutes.