Blueberry crumble tray bake

Last Sunday's Bake Club theme was tray bakes so my contribution was a blueberry crumble tray bake.

There were a few decisions about where the berries should go while testing but in the end I opted for a layer between the sponge and the crumble.

Given the current conversations around the health benefits of whole foods I also went with a wholemeal flour.

I have since learnt that the whole foods philosophy does not extend to whole cakes, whole pizzas, or whole buffets which is a shame as I thought they may have been onto something there........


Blueberry Crumble Tray Bake
Ingredients:

• 125g unsalted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 430g wholemeal self raising flour
• 250ml cream
• 200g frozen blueberries

For crumble

• 60g unsalted butter
• 40g treacle
• 80g slivered almonds
• 100g rolled oats
• 30g wholemeal self raising flour

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180ºC and line a 27.9cm x 17.8cm x 3.81cm tray (or there abouts) with baking paper

Make crumble:

• Melt butter with treacle in a microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top)
• Add almonds, oats and flour to a bowl
• Mix butter and treacle through the dry ingredients

Make batter:

• Cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy
• Add vanilla
• Beat through eggs a little at a time
• Mix in flour and cream
• Spread batter into lined tray
• Evenly sprinkle blueberries onto batter
• Top with crumble
• Press down to even the top
• Bake at 180ºC for 40-45 mins
• Let cool in tin before serving

I over line the tray so the corners can be tucked over to protect the crumble sides from burning.

 



 The cream is just thickened cream with some caster sugar & about 10 blueberries whipped using a hand blender.

I'm turning violet, Violet.

Another in the 60 second gelato range, blueberry cheesecake. With summer on the way and a predicted 38 degrees in Melbourne tomorrow, I am dreaming about anything that's frozen. Oh how I can relate to pastry, I hate the heat!!
Because this is so time consuming at 60 seconds you can spend another couple of minutes and go fancy pants with the plating. The base adds a yummy crunchy crumb, but is optional if you do have the time.

Blueberry cheesecake gelato

• 500 grams frozen blueberries
• 250 grams cottage cheese (or ricotta)
• 100 grams icing sugar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)

Method

• Blend all together in a food processor till smooth.

Biscuit base

• 60grams plain biscuits
• 30grams almonds
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup

Method

• Melt butter and golden syrup together (about 45 second in a microwave)
• Add all ingredients to food processor and blend to fine crumb
• To save on wash up you can make the crumb first, wipe out the processor and then make the ice cream. Use commonsense as if people have nut allergies, that could be an awkward end to a dinner party.
• This recipe is enough for about 6 bases and gelato to spare.

You can plate fancy in a ring mold, put it in a bowl, or just go straight from the processor bowl. I am too embrassased to admit my normal plating scenario, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

I probably need to see someone about my purple obsession.

Oh it's a cake

It can be a big step to go from buying supermarket cakes to making your own packet mix, to the ultimate of doing it from scratch. This is a simple guide that you can not muck up. The blueberry pound cake is a favourite of a friend of mine, who with some inspiration will become a star baker (maybe). I have dreams this might be a To Sir with Love moment but instead of taking her from crayons to perfume, I'll take her from filling the cannoli to making them as well.

Blueberry Pound Cake
based on the basic pound cake at www.taste.com.au
Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs
• 250g (1 2/3 cups plan flour)
• 3 tsp of baking powder
• 1 cup blueberries (thawed if using frozen)
• icing sugar to dust or cream cheese icing.

Method

• Preheat oven to 170 °C
• Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy. (Use electric beaters or bench top machine)
• Add eggs one at a time to combine into mixture, (this is an important stage that it doesn't curdle, but in the end it will still be cake, just serve with ice cream)
• Sift flour and baking powder into mix and fold in. (be gentle)
• Into greased bundt or cake tin put half the mixture, it will be thick and doughy.
• sprinkle the blueberries over batter.
• cover with remaining batter.
• Put cake tin on an oven tray and bake for 50 mins.
• Test cake is ready by poking a skewer into the cake and checking it comes out clean.
• Wait 5 mins and then turn cake onto cake cooler or serving plate.
• Dust with icing sugar to serve or cream cheese icing (that will be lesson 2)