Blueberry buckle

I know, blueberries aren't exactly in season anymore...but...this will be an exercise in using your imagination. Pretend it's a lovely June day (but don't pretend you're in Texas; you'll melt. Try Indiana or Pennsylvania or somewhere up north). Clear blue skies, a few wispy clouds here and there, an occasional breeze. You're relaxing on a hammock, perhaps with a book in hand (put away your iPod; listen to those birds chirping!). Lunch was a few hours ago, and what better mid-afternoon snack than a piece of blueberry buckle (coffeecake), perhaps topped off with a dollop of whipped cream?

Sounds good, huh? Terribly sorry if this now has you longing for those relaxing summer days of yesteryear. You may not be able to lounge on a hammock right now (or at least not without a couple of blankets and a stack of [home]work), but you can still enjoy the deliciousness of this blueberry buckle recipe. You don't even have to have fresh blueberries (though fresh is always preferable); I used frozen berries when I made this, and it turned out just fine.

Blueberry buckle

For the cake:

2 cups and 1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (separated)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 pint blueberries (again, I used frozen blueberries; I let them thaw a little in the refrigerator before using)

For the topping:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (like yesterday's recipe, I keep the butter cold and then cut into recipe with a pastry blender)

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease an 8-inch springform pan (I just used a regular 8x8 baking dish). Set aside.

2. Sift together the 2 cups of flour, the baking soda, and the salt. Set aside.

3. In separate bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk.

4. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of flour (to separate and scatter evenly through the batter). Fold into mixture.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set aside.

6. Combine topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over batter.

7. Bake for one hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Enjoy!