Blueberry picking and delicious recipes

When I went to my dad's yesterday morning, I started a load of laundry, and then grabbed one of his (high tech blueberry buckets), just kidding. Dad and mom used recycled, clean, plastic, joint compound containers to which a shoelace was attached to hang the bucket around your neck, so both  hands were free to pick blueberries.
I plan on making my dad a blueberry cake using my mother's wonderful recipe, and also a blueberry pie on Thursday with the berries I picked.

It was so hot  yesterday morning while I was  picking from the blueberry bushes that I didn't pick for long, and didn't quite fill my bucket.
inside the pail
I picked some more berries in the  afternoon, when we got back from visiting with my mom in the nursing home.

My mom was a fantastic cook and baker before she got Alzheimer's. Mom won baking contest with her original recipes. Her blueberry cake is loved by all that have tried it, and she created the recipe when she first got married in 1946. I will share the recipe with you, as she was always happy to share her recipes. I just ask if you pass this recipe along that you give my mom credit for this recipe. Thanks!!

Lillian Harju's Blueberry Cake
Preheat your oven: 350 degrees
Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 cake pan
Ingredients:
1  1/2 teaspoons vanilla   
1  1/2 sticks of butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1  1/2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup of all purpose cream/whipping cream ( don't use milk, or the cake just doesn't taste the same)

About 1 quart of cleaned fresh blueberries. This cake is loaded with berries, and the berries don't sink to the bottom. If the berries are tart, add more sugar to the recipe.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.  Add the dry ingredients..sifted flour, baking powder, salt, and beat until well mixed in the bowl adding the cream a little at a time until well mixed. Stir in your blueberries by hand so they won't get crushed.

The cake batter will be quite heavy. Spoon the cake batter into your buttered pan. Sprinkle some white sugar on top of the batter.

Bake the blueberry cake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, sprinkle a little more white sugar on the top of the cake. Let cool. This cake is delicious hot or cold. This blueberry cake is very moist.

Note: if you want, you can use frozen blueberries with no problem, but, just to let you know that the batter will turn blue, and be very heavy once the frozen blueberries are mixed into the cake. So don't panic.This is NORMAL, and the finished cake tastes the same as if you used fresh berries.  If you have any questions you can email me  EAkers@aol.com

Give this cake a try, and let me know how you like it. I am drooling for a piece just thinking about it. :-)

Below is a delicious blueberry muffin recipe that my friend, Emmy Hornocker gave me years ago. Jordan Marsh department stores use to sell these muffins in their bakery.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Preheat oven: 375 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes.
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2  1/2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
Reserve 2 teaspoons sugar for top of muffin batter.
At low speed on your mixer..cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat till fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended
Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk into the batter.
Mash 1  1/2 cups blueberries and stir by hand into the mixture. Add in the rest of the blueberries, stirring in by hand.
Grease muffin tin and the top surface of the muffin tin well. Place batter in tins.The muffins rise high and will overflow onto the of the muffin tin. Batter should be piled high in each muffin cup.
Sprinkle reserved sugar over the top of the muffins. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes. Makes 12 large muffins.
Enjoy these delicious muffins. Let me know what you think if you bake some.