3 Delicious Blueberries Recipes

Blueberries Recipes

Continuing from my earlier post ‘Beating the blues…with Blueberries

Blueberry and Almond Tea Cake

Blueberry recipes- Blueberry and almond tea cake
Blueberry and almond tea cake

Ingredients:

185 grams softened butter

330 gms castor sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 eggs

110 grams self-rising flour

50 gms plain flour

90 gms almond powdered

120 grams sour cream

2 tbsp. almond slivers

Icing sugar to dust

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180c.
  • Grease and line the base of a 20 cm x 30 cm loaf tin.
  • Beat the butter, cinnamon powder and sugar with an electric beater in a large mixing bowl until creamy and pale.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Sieve the flours, powdered almond and stir to combine.
  • Stir in the blueberries and pour into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface.
  • Sprinkle the almond slivers evenly over the surface.
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  • Set aside in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Dust with icing sugar and cut into square and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Blueberry muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

300 gms self-rising flour

150 gms brown sugar powdered

150 gms fresh or frozen blueberries

1 egg lightly beaten

180 ml buttermilk

125 ml vegetable oil

Method:

  • Grease a six-hole muffin pan.
  • Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well with a metal spoon.
  • Spoon into muffin tins, bake in a preheated oven for 200c/ gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes.

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Breakfast blueberry and ricotta pancakes

Lemon chestnut ricotta pancakes, blueberries, maple syrup

Ingredients:

225 gms self-rising flour

2 tbsp castor sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs

250 ml butter milk

60 ml milk

240 gms ricotta

100 gms fresh blueberries

Melted butter and maple syrup as needed

Method:

Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon powder in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs, butter milk and milk in a separate bowl until just combined.

Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Fold in the ricotta and blueberries

Cover with the plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes to rest.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

Lightly brush with melted butter.

Drop two ¼ cups of the batter into the pan to form two 10cm discs.

Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles have risen to the surface and the pancakes are golden underneath.

Turn with spatula and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked.

Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Repeat in 5 more batches, with the remaining batter to make 12 pancakes.

Place the pancakes on serving plates, drizzle with maple syrup and top with extra berries if desired.

Hope you enjoy making these recipes and if you have any other interesting blueberries recipes, you may share it here…

Banish the Blues… with Blueberries!

BLUEBERRIES
BLUEBERRIES

In India, blueberry farming is very limited but there is a huge future potential for commercial blueberry farming. Up, until a few years ago blueberries were unheard of in India, but as more and more people are travelling and more and more people are aware of their health benefits of various foods, the demand is there for new and more varied fruits and vegetables in our local markets. Fresh blueberries are a little bit expensive but worth it if you can afford them, purely for their health benefits. The other alternative is to buy them in packets in their dried form which is easily available in most food stores.

Blueberries
blueberries | by brx0

In the US consumption of blueberries ranks only second to strawberries in popularity. Blueberries have incredible nutrition and health benefits and are repeatedly ranked in the US diet as having one of the highest anti-oxidant properties of all fruits, vegetables, spices, and seasonings.

It is best if you can enjoy eating raw blueberries for optimum benefits rather than having them in desserts, cakes or muffins, because like other fruits, raw blueberries provide you with the best flavour and the greatest nutritional benefits.

Blueberries by maira.gall
Blueberries by maira.gall

It is clear that they are sweet, colourful and can be enjoyed both fresh or frozen or dried is an added bonus to go to your nearest food store and get it on your diet plan as soon as possible.

Blueberries-health benefits

Health benefits

Blueberries are sweet, nutritious and often labelled a ‘super food’ as they are low in calories and incredibly healthy. Not only are they low in calories but also high in nutrients. A one cup serving of blueberries contains 4k and 25% of Vitamin C, 36% of Vitamin K and 25% of Manganese of the daily food values required. Besides they are also about 85% water and an entire cup contains only 84 calories, with 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Blueberries are also believed to contain the highest antioxidant capacity of all commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants protect our bodies from damage by free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cellular structures and contribute to aging and disease like cancer. The main antioxidant compound in blueberries belongs to a large family of polyphenols, called flavonoids.

Oxidative DNA damage is part of everyday life. It is said to occur tens of thousands of time per day, in every single cell in the body. DNA damage is a part of the reason we grow older, but because blueberries are high in antioxidants, they can help neutralise some of the free radicals that cause damage to our DNA. Bottom line, several studies have shown that blueberries and blueberry juice can protect against DNA damage, a leading driver of aging and cancer.

Also, the antioxidants in blueberries have been shown to protect LDL (bad cholesterol) from oxidative damage, a crucial step in the pathway towards heart disease.

Some studies undertaken have shown that regular blueberry intake has been known to lower blood pressure. Given that high blood pressure is one of the leading drivers of heart attacks and strokes, the consumption of blueberries is potentially massive. The antioxidants in blueberries also seem to have benefits for the brain, helping to improve brain function and delaying age-related decline.

The iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and Vitamin K in blueberries all contribute to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.

Because of their fibre content, blueberries help prevent constipation and promote regularly for a healthy digestive tract. Dietary fibre is also commonly recognised as an important factor in weight loss and weight management by functioning as ‘bulking agent’ in the digestive system by increasing satiety and reducing appetite, making you feel fuller for longer and thereby lowering overall calorie intake.

So there is, even more, a reason to enjoy your blueberries this little fruit packs a mighty punch. It also helps soften dry skin, boosts your brain and may even help prevent cancer. Blueberries, like cranberries, contain a compound that prevents bacteria from adhering to bladder walls, which helps ward off (UTI’S) urinary tract infections.