Baked Goods Taste Better Shared Among Friends

We had a pint of blueberries sitting in our refrigerator for awhile now. We brought them back from South Haven, MI where we visited family and friends and have been trying to think of what to do with them! My first thought was to can it as some sort of preserve or jam, but after further research, I realized you need a lot more than a pint to do that! Because we recently made a peach cobbler, I ruled out another berry cobbler/crisp.

I finally settled on Blueberry-Sour Cream Dessert, another recipe from my trusty BHG New Cookbook. This recipe was perfect because I had all the ingredients (save quick cooking tapioca) on hand and we had the perfect amount of blueberries for the dish!

Blueberry-Sour Cream Dessert, taken from Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 recipe Dessert Crust (see below)
3 cups blueberries (I used fresh but you can also use frozen if necessary)
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup divided
3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Dessert Crust:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour


Kitchen Supplies:
Spring Form pan
Cooling rack
Rolling pin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat 1/2 cup of butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg yolk and beat until combined. Slowly add flour until ingredients combine. Work mixture gently with hands until it resembles coarse crumbles. Press mixture into 9 inch springform pan, covering the bottom of the pan completely and the sides approximately 1 1/2 inches along the side of the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes (my oven took 10 minutes) until the edges are light brown. Place on cooling rack and let cool while you prepare the topping.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, 1/3 cup of sugar, tapioca, water, cinnamon, lemon peel, and nutmeg. Because my blueberries were freshly picked from a farmer's market, I had to remove several stems before adding to the saucepan! Let sit, off heat, for fifteen minutes to let flavors combine. Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until blueberries begin to burst and mixture is bubbly. Pour into baked crust.

Meanwhile, combine egg yolks, sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Carefully pour over blueberry mixture, taking care that it is distributed evenly over the blueberry layer.

Bake 50 minutes in oven, or until sour cream layer is set enough that it does not budge when gently shaken. Cool in pan on wire rack for one hour. Run sharp knife along side of pan to release crust; remove side. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight before serving.

I originally made the dessert for J and I to enjoy throughout the weekend. However, two situations presented themselves which allowed us to not only eat it, but share it with friends! Saturday morning we had coffee (both hot and iced varieties) at a friend's home. Cold blueberry dessert was a perfect addition to the affair. Saturday night we were invited to another friend's house for some Cincinnati chili. Our contribution was beer and this dessert.

I hope you consider making this dessert yourself and sharing it with family and friends! Happy weekend!