Blueberry Buckle

Hey long lost friends! I've been really lazy this summer and haven't sat down to write. I hope you all have had fantastic summers! I've been doing a lot of baking so keep your eyes out for a lot of posts in the next few weeks. 

This recipe I'm sharing with you today is one of my family's summer hits. We have friends who have taken this recipe and added it to their restaurant menu. I have great memories of waking up to the smell of blueberry buckle as it's being pulled out of the oven. At our lake house, our neighborhood gathers and has breakfast on the beach at least once a summer and the blueberry buckle is a constant there. 

You won't be disappointed in this recipe! It's just delicious. 

Blueberry Buckle

3/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 egg 

1/2 cup milk

2 cup flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 1/2 cup blueberries

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup sugar 

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375°.  Grease & flour (or spray) 8” pan. 

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt. 

In a large bowl (or stand mixer), cream the butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add egg and mix, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Next, mix in the lemon peel & milk. Slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated, then fold in blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, toss them with a bit of flour to cover). 

Spread in pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 25-35 minutes (depending on how much you want it cooked-- my family likes it pretty gooey). 

For 8x8 pan- double the topping recipe.  

For 9 x 13 pan-  double batter recipe & triple the topping. 

Knock-Off "Not Your Average Chicken Oscar"

My favorite meal at one of my favorite restaurants combines most of my favorite ingredients into one dish. It's a creamy dish but I request it with clear/ olive oil/ garlic/ white wine (whatever the chef wants besides cream) sauce and it is fantastic. I believe it's "oscar" describes a cream sauce so I'm not sure what to title this dish... but I'm just calling it a knock-off for right now.



My Version of Knock-Off "Not Your Average Chicken Oscar"

1 cup jasmine rice
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can chicken broth
1- 1 1/2 lbs thin sliced chicken breast cutlets
16-20 scallops (4- 5 per person), rinse and pat dry
16-20 extra-large shrimp (4- 5 per person), rinsed, shell removed & dried
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 package crimini mushrooms
1 can quartered asparagus
5-10 sun-dried tomatoes
2 tsp capers
1/3 cup dry white whine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (~ 2 lemons)
splash of white wine vinegar


In a saucepan, add carrots and 1 can of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add jasmine rice, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (unless your rice specifies a different cook time). When done, fluff with a fork.

Heat pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and pan sear the chicken cutlets. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the pan. Add scallops, turning once. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, then add shrimp and cook for a few more minuets. Add in asparagus, tomatoes, capers, white wine, remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth, lemon juice and the splash of white wine vinegar. Cook for a few minutes then toss the chicken back in and cook for another minute or two.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a stockpot. Add asparagus and cook for a few minutes until green but still crispy. Remove from water and place aside.

To plate, spoon rice on the plate. Add asparagus then the chicken mixture. Top with scallops.

Mint Milano Tart

Recently, I was thinking about cookie crusts and realized most cookie crusts are made from oreos or graham crackers. I started wondering about what other cookies I could make crusts out of and decided I wanted to try using mint milanos.

I would have to say this dessert was quite decadent... I've never cut small pieces of cake, tart, pie etc before but I definitely did this time. The mint milanos gave the tart a light mint flavoring. If you wanted a stronger mint flavoring, I'd add mint extract or mint leaves in to the tart.

I'm looking forward to making this again! Keep your eyes out for a variety of cookie tarts & pies in the future :)

Mint Milano Tart
my creation!

1 package mint milano cookies (I ate 2, gave 1 to my husband- so I used 13 total)
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup whipping cream
12 oz chocolate, cut into pieces (I used 4 oz bittersweet & 8 oz semi-sweet)

In a food processor, pulse the cookies until fine chopped then add the melted butter and pulse until combined.

Add the cookie mixture to a tart pan and spread the mixture evenly across the bottom and up the sides (mine didn't reach the top). I refrigerated the crust for about 30 minutes, then placed in an 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes and then returned it to the fridge. I don't believe the oven was necessary but it was on so I threw it in there.

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil and then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes and then stir until combined.

Pour chocolate mixture into the prepared crust and return to the refrigerator to set for at least an hour - two hours.