Blueberry Oat Bread

Ingredients

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

2½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

¼ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl gently combine brown sugar, milk oil, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.

Add remaining dry ingredients except nuts and blueberries and slowly mix together.

Dust blueberries lightly with flour to prevent from sinking when baking. Gently fold in blueberries and walnuts. Pour batter evenly into loaf pan. Top with additional oats if desired.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until an inserted test toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Gently remove from pan and let cool on a rack for 2 hours.

Sprinkle top with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Keep covered. Bread will be fresh for approximately 4 days.

Recipe adapted from PenneyLane

Blueberry Ricotta Cake Squares

Girlfriends were coming for lunch.  I had time to kill so wanted to put together something that was quick and easy. I had blueberries and ricotta cheese on hand, Googled the two, and voila!  These were a big hit.  So moist, and the plump, fresh blueberries were so refreshing.  I think anything with blueberries is fabulous; add the element of ricotta cheese and the end result is awesome!!

Ingredients

1 cup flour

3⁄4 cup sugar

1 1⁄4 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄3 cup milk

1⁄4 cup shortening

1 egg

1⁄2 teaspoon lemon extract

2 eggs

1 1⁄4 cups ricotta cheese

1⁄3 cup sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1⁄2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9 square baking pan. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, 3/4 sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add milk, shortening, 1 egg and lemon extract. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

Pour batter prepared pan; spread evenly.

Spread blueberries over batter.

In medium bowl lightly beat 2 eggs with fork and add ricotta cheese, 1/3 c sugar and  vanilla, beat until combined.

Spoon ricotta mixture over blueberries and spread evenly.

Bake at for 55-60 minutes, cool.  Cut into 16 squares.

Recipe adapted from Food.com

Betcha can't eat just one!

Super Moist Glazed Lemon Loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. lemon extract

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup oil

Zest of one lemon

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. melted butter
1-2 T milk

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, grease and flour a loaf pan.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix together.

Combine eggs, sugar, butter vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Consider using an electric mixer to make the process easier.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredient bowl and combine. For best results add dry ingredients slowly and in increments so the dry ingredients don't spill from the bowl.

Add oil and lemon zest and continue to mix well. 

Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Make the glaze. Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 1 T milk and lemon extract  & lemon zest together in a bowl. Add more milk if necessary for spreading consistency.

Drizzle glaze over war, loaf on a wire rack placed in a cookie sheet.  Allow glaze to set.  Slice and serve!

Variation: Try adding 1/2 c fresh blueberries to the batter before pouring into loaf pan!

Recipe adapted from Wikipedia.