Hellooooooo my friends it’s September isn’t that wild? Are you ready for summer to be over? I am for sure, I really was that girl that got a pumpkin spice latte the day it came out, even if it was still August. I won’t apologize for it either so don’t even ASK. But, before we get to this fricken Blueberry Clafoutis, I hope we all had lovely Labor Day Weekends! I started mine off seeing the Jonas Brothers in concert (for the 4th time!!) and crying my eyes out, and finished by moving into my apartment! What a time to be alive, I can’t wait to start cooking in my tiny bb kitchen.
Today’s recipe is a classic by Queen Julia Child, one that I’ve similarly tried before here, but this Blueberry Clafoutis is the real deal. Kind of like a cross between a pancake and a dutch baby, a clafoutis is maybe one of the easiest desserts to make. It can be done in one blender (or one bowl with a whisk and some determination), and be in the oven in 10 minutes. It can be customized with other fruits and spices however you’d like. Sound good? Cool cool cool we’ll get to that in just a second.
Before we get started you know what’s coming next, here are 5 things to be happy about today!! ONE. Coming home from a long day and pouring yourself a glass of wine. TWO. A phone call that turns your day around. THREE. Having a crush. FOUR. Finding a new song that you never want to turn off. FIVE. Feeling a chill in the air.
Let’s bake!!
Julia Child’s Blueberry Clafoutis
One bowl, 10 minutes, full of jammy blueberries and a custardy base, there's literally no excuse not to make this right NOW!
Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously butter a medium-sized (I used 9×13 inch) baking dish.
In a blender or large bowl, add the milk, ⅓ cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour. Blend for 1 minute until smooth, or whisk vigorously until no lumps are present.
Pour a ¼-inch amount of batter into the baking dish and place in the oven for 2 minutes, until slightly set. Add the blueberries, sprinkle the remaining ⅓ cup sugar evenly over them, and then pour on the remaining batter.
Bake for 50 minutes, until set and slightly golden on top. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, warm, cold, or room temp!!
Okaaaaaaaaay hello! Happy Tuesday, how was your weekend? Mine involved a trip to the gardens with a dear friend, a family viewing of Toy Story 4 in which I bawled my eyes out, and…COOKING! Specifically a baked pasta and this gorgeous summer tart recipe. *Cue the fake shock lol* I go through this weekly Sunday dilemma where I spend all day wondering what to cook for Sunday dinner. I have an instagram folder full of recipes I’ve saved and yet when the time comes, I can’t think of anything. This week I was saved by Smitten Kitchen, with this summery pasta bake. The best part is, remember that garden I mentioned a few weeks back? Guess where all the herbs came from?? I felt like fricken Ina Garten strolling right outside and cutting herbs for myself. All that’s missing is the Hamptons house, but that can’t be far behind right??
Anyway, for dessert I made this GORGEOUS summer tart recipe, which I literally found by chance. I haven’t picked up a magazine in my house in ages, but I happened to open up a new Southern Living magazine on Saturday afternoon and was immediately drawn to this recipe. Originally made with a Ritz crackers crust, I changed it to a chocolate cookie crust because why not, plus I thought it complemented the berries nicely. I was particularly proud of how this looked with all the berries on top, feel free to call me for all your food styling needs in the future lmao. The filling is rich with a little tang, almost like a cheesecake but in tart form, so really what’s not to like?
I warn you all to not make the same mistake I did though. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fool who often fails to read a recipe through before diving right into them. Do we remember this? Good. So I was about halfway through the filling of this tart when !!!! I noticed that it has to chill for approximately 8 hours before serving. Keep in mind this was at 3:30 when dinner was at 6. Yeah. I’m a fool. Miraculously, chilling the filled tart in the freezer for 45 minutes and then into the fridge until serving seemed to work just fine, but I would always recommend following the recipe if time allows.
Don’t forget about your 5 things to be happy about today, share them with your friends and strangers!! ONE. Your favorite TV show starting a new season. TWO. Finding a silver lining in something that felt hopeless. THREE. Having a second chance at something. FOUR. Hair masks. FIVE. Playing cornhole in the backyard during a barbecue.
Let’s bake!
Black and Blue Buttermilk Tart
The most perfect combination of chocolatey crust, rich cheesecakey filling, and the season's ripest berries, this summer tart recipe is one you'll want to make over and over.
2cupschocolate cookie crumbsex: chocolate wafers or oreo cookies
4Tbsunsalted buttermelted
Black and Blue Buttermilk Tart
¾cup heavy cream
1vanilla beanor 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1¼tspunflavored gelatinfrom 1 pouch
½cupwhite sugar
12oz.cream cheesesoftened
¾cupbuttermilk
blueberries + blackberriesfor topping
Instructions
Chocolate Cookie Crust
If using chocolate wafers, pulse the cookies with salt in a food processor until they are even crumbs. If using oreos, separate the cookie from the filling and then do the same. Measure out 2 cups of crumbs and add to a medium bowl, along with the melted butter.
Stir until the mixture is evenly moistened, then pour into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your hands and a small dry measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and then allow to cool completely before filling.
Black and Blue Buttermilk Tart
Pour heavy cream and scraped vanilla bean + pod (or vanilla bean paste) to a saucepan, and mix. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the sugar and heat on medium until the sugar and gelatin are dissolved.
Transfer mixture to a food processor, then add the cream cheese a little bit at a time. Pour in the buttermilk and process until the mixture is smooth. Pour into a cooled tart crust and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, up to overnight. Before serving, top with berries. YUM!!!
Okay I gotta tell you, I made this cake two weeks ago and I really haven’t stopped thinking about it. I know that to some, a corn layer cake may seem like a weird concept. In fact, my uncle told me it was the only thing I’ve ever made that he wouldn’t eat, BUT. Trust me, you’re gonna want this. Adapted from this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen (once again!), it’s light and fluffy with a hint of sweet corn and a gorgeous texture. To top it all off, the frosting uses a whole cup of blueberry jam because sweet corn and blueberry is a perfect combination.
This cake was inspired by a day trip my family took last summer to the North Fork of Long Island. It was a Saturday at the end of July, and we set off without any concrete plans and it made for the absolute best day. On a whim, we stopped at a roadside farm that was advertising “Pick Your Own Berries” and homemade ice cream. Honestly, how could anyone turn that down? After our baskets were full of blueberries and blackberries, we sat in the shade with our ice cream in the fanciest of flavors. For me, Basil, blueberry, and sweet corn were the three standouts. Even better though?When you mixed a scoop of the blueberry and a scoop of the sweet corn. The blueberry lends a sweet-tartness while the corn is rich and velvety, and I just need you to try it yourself.
My dad has made it his summer mission to create a garden in our backyard, and I could not be more excited. It’s a dream of mine to be able to stroll outside with a pair of kitchen shears and snip some herbs for my french omelet like I’m Ina Garten, so you best believe that will be happening. In addition to the herbs, he’s growing peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers to start, so who knows? Maybe our bountiful harvest will find its way into one of these recipes.
But I digress. Before we get started, here are 5 things to be happy about today: ONE. Going on a coffee run on a misty summer morning before the heat of the day. TWO. Porch swings. THREE. Family recipes passed down for generations. FOUR. Farm stands. FIVE. An ice cold pitcher of watermelon juice that you may feel so inclined to add tequila to.
Let’s bake!
Sweet Corn Layer Cake with Blueberry Jam Frosting
While it may seem like an unconventional pairing, this moist and fluffy cake has a rich, velvety sweet corn flavor that's complimented beautifully by the sweet-yet-tart blueberry jam frosting that so generously envelopes it.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, then add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom to further prevent sticking (as Ina Garten says, "what's the point of making a cake if you can't get it out of the pan?").
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vegetable oil for about 1 minute. Add the eggs and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
With the mixer on low, add the dry and the wet ingredients alternatively, starting and ending with the dry ingredients until all are added. Mix until the batter is smooth. The batter will seem very thin but do not fret, this is correct!
Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans. At this point, I used my cake baking strips on the outside to ensure flatter tops for stacking, so if you decide to use those as well, place your cake pans on a sheet pan to bake. Bake the cakes for 20-23 minutes, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool the cakes for 5 minutes in their pans, then flip onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Blueberry Jam Frosting Steps
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the powdered sugar and butter until combined. Add the vanilla and blueberry jam, mixing until the frosting is uniform in color and texture. If the frosting is too firm, add whole milk a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Frosting the Cake Steps
If you'd like, feel free to cut the cakes in half for a 4 layer cake, but I chose not to for this particular recipe. Place first layer on a cake board, stand, or plate and add about ¼ cup of the frosting to the top, smoothing with an offset spatula into an even layer. Repeat with remaining layers if you have 4, otherwise place the second cake on top and coat the entire cake in a thin layer (called a crumb coat) to seal. Chill for 15-30 minutes in the fridge so that the frosting is slightly firm to the touch.
Remove the cake from the fridge and coat with a second, thicker layer so that the entire cake is covered evenly. You may want to use a bench scraper or spatula to make the sides smooth and even, or use the bake of a spoon to give the frosting a more rustic, swirled design.
Top the cake with blueberries, sprigs of mint, sprinkles, whatever you feel like using to decorate, and voila! Enjoy!
