I Found My Thrill…

Blueberry Hill Hot Cakes with Syrup

Some people never make a mess. Seriously. Have you noticed? Well, I don’t know about you, but those folks worry me. I mean, some of the best fun I’ve had in my life has involved mess. And I don’t mean a little mess. I mean a great, big, rip-roaring, sticky, gooey, staining, slobbering mess. Come on… you know what I mean. You love a real knock-down drag-out mess too, don’t you?  Is it not the very definition of a good time?

Almost every single food I love is messy: ripe, juicy peaches; molten chocolate; frosted sticky buns; cheesy chile. But my all time favorites are the stainers – especially the blueberries. On a hot summer afternoon, as you head out swinging your little bucket, you know that you’re gonna eat those berries as fast as you pick ’em. You know it. And you are going to stain your fingers and your t-shirt too. Plus, your teeth are gonna turn blue; dark blue if you are doing it right. And who cares?  It’s so worth it. Then later, when you cook those delicious blueberries, they get all sticky and oozy, and they turn that electric fuchsia color. And the smell – oh my lordy. Is that not heaven? My I do love the blueberries. And woo-hoo, do I have the blotchy blue-stained t-shirts to prove it. Blueberry pie. Blueberry buckle. Blueberry crisp. Half of it usually ends up on my shirt. Who invented the white t-shirt anyway? Mr. Hanes? What a bad idea. I have never been able to keep one clean. Well, I’ve learned to outsmart that bleached kill-joy Hanes. Now I wear BLUE when I am eating blueberries – blue jeans and fuchsia t-shirts. Take that Mr. Tidy-Whitey…

Blue on Blue

Weekends are meant for fun and relaxation. I don’t think they should be uptight. And I’ll tell you another thing: leisurely mornings and Blueberry Hill hot cakes, with their sticky blue-fuchsia syrup, are a match made in heaven. Yes, my blueberries may come from the freezer at this time of year, but the syrup they make is no less delicious. Fresh summertime blueberries are, of course, nirvana. And blueberry bushes, (of the genus Vaccinium), are beautiful, low-maintenance shrubs. Many of you probably grow them already. But for you new gardeners, I plan to write more about selecting, planting and growing blueberries in a few weeks. For now though, I think we should set aside time to practice cooking and baking with frozen blueberries. Wouldn’t you agree?

Yes, I found my thrill. A messy thrill. On Blueberry Hill…

Blueberry Hill Hot Cakes with Syrup

(Inspired by Nigella Lawson and Marion Cunningham )

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Ingredients for Hot Cakes (makes about 4 dozen mini pancakes):

4       large eggs

1/2    teaspoon salt

1/2    teaspoon baking soda

1/3    cup cake flour, (this makes light and fluffy hot cakes. use slightly less if your eggs are smaller)

2       cups sour cream, (light or fat-free is OK)

2       tablespoons grade A Vermont maple syrup

1       tablespoon lemon zest

powdered sugar for serving

butter or grease for griddle or skillet

Ingredients for Blueberry Hill Syrup:

1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen berries thawed overnight)

1/2    cup grade A Vermont maple syrup

Directions:

Crack the eggs Into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir them together. When blended well, add the cake flour, salt, baking soda, sour cream, maple syrup and lemon zest. Continue blending until you have a smooth, well-mixed batter. Set aside.

On burner one: Pour the blueberries and 1/2 cup of maple syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook on high heat for a few minutes until the berries start to bubble, then reduce heat, mash the berries just a bit, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Smells good, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile on burner two: Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or pan. Add a pat or so of butter or your choice of grease. Fill 1/4 cup with batter and slowly pour small, (just a wee bit bigger than the circumference of that quarter cup you are holding), amounts into the pan. When the hot cakes form bubbles, it’s time to flip them over with a spatula and cook them for a couple more minutes. Don’t flatten with your spatula. You want the air!

Portion the hot cakes out on, (white!), plates and ladle on hot blueberry syrup. Look at that gorgeous fuchsia syrup run! Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve hot with extra blueberry syrup on the side.

Tiny bubbles in the cast iron skillet say ‘Flip me’…

Heavenly-scented stickiness …

Blueberry Hill Hot Cakes – Go Ahead  – Make a Mess

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Want more inspiration? Try this: Louis Armstrong – Blueberry Hill

Article and Photographs copyright 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden. All rights reserved.

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15 Replies to “I Found My Thrill…”

  1. Karen Tandy

    I am writing for premission to share your Don’t Break My Heart with my garden club.I loved it so much….. I will give you credit and The Gardners Eden, and I love your sight!! I know that spring is coming, but your sight has really helped me here in Iowa. Also I love Blue Berrys and will try your recipe for the pancakes. Sound so yummy. Thanks.
    Spring is on it’s way. Hugs, Karen

  2. Michaela

    Hi Karen,
    Of course… please feel free to share. It’s all meant to share. I’m so glad you enjoy the site. Passing it along is all the thanks I need. Happy Spring to you – soon we will be breathing in the smell of fresh earth and blossoms on the breeze.
    xo Michaela

  3. Laurrie

    I can just taste those blueberries, oh my! My favorite, by far, any old way you want to do them. I’m looking forward to your additional posts on growing blueberries. Mine (Northblue) are 3 years old and bearing beautifully, but they are tart! And they didn’t do well at the end of summer… fruit shriveled, and the shrubs got a leaf spot problem that defoliated them before their red fall foliage came out. I got discouraged, but reading this post, I am so into blueberries again! All is forgiven, just pass the pie.

  4. Michaela

    HI Laurrie,
    Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you live in New England, last year was just a dreadful year for blueberries because of the rain. Do you grow two varieties or only one? I ask because you only mention the one. For best production I would suggest two varieties, (pollination). Choose two with similar bloom times, (or more if you want to span the season. Some varieties are sweeter than others. V.corymbosum ‘Blue Jay’ has a nice flavor. I also like V. corymbosum ‘Jersey’, (some consider this heirloom and it fruits late), ‘Blue Ray’, (early), ‘Berkeley’, ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Bluegold’.
    New wood produces the best fruit. If your shrubs are more than three years old, it’s time to start pruning with thinning cuts. Ph is best between 4.5-4.8, and mulching, (bark works well), to manage weeds is key since blueberries are shallow rooted and cultivating can harm roots.
    I am not sure of how experienced you are, or where you are gardening, but there are some good resources in NE. Norse Farms in Western MA is a great plant source. I will post more soon.
    Happy Blueberry dreams Laurrie
    All the best, xo Michaela

  5. julie

    This just makes me want to go cook pancakes and grow blueberries here on the west coast,yum yum… I’ll just have to settle for frozen berries from Trader Joes, but seriously I just got hungry…gotta go.. :)

  6. Michaela

    Frozen berries are really good for this. I used my frozen berries, but Trader Joes has excellent frozen fruit ! Depending upon where you live on the west coast, there are a few varieties you actually can grow. Unless you are on the southwest coast. Then, well, then you have pomegranates meyer lemons and dragon fruit, and I will not feel sorry for you. :)

  7. Deb Weyrich-Cody

    “Blue on blue, now we are parted.
    Blue on blue, now that we are through…”

    “Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow…”

    They were talking about your empty plate, weren’t they? Lol!

  8. Kitchen Butterfly

    I’m smiling about your Mr Hane comment…..there’s no time I wear a white shirt to work that I don’t spill a cup of tea on it….first thing in the morning! :-)…I guess I’m not alone!

  9. Michaela

    Well hello there KB, it’s nice to hear from you again :) How are things in your time zone? I should have linked your flavored coffee article here. I keep meaning to do that. Next time? I need to pay a visit to Kitchen Butterfly to see what you are up to these days. Thanks for fluttering by ! xo Michaela

  10. Michaela

    Hi Deb, I was thinking the same thing when I wrote that actually – and again when I sat playing with the fuchsia syrup on my plate…
    xo

  11. Nancy

    When I woke up this morning the sun was shining, the birds singing and I was ready to relax and weed my flower beds. Now, after seeing the pictures of the blueberry pancakes I’m off to the store to buy ingrediants for a very yummy breakfast! Thank you for wonderful idea……

  12. Michaela

    Stop the press: “weed my flower beds”. Um, everything else you said here…. is suddenly getting blurry. OMG. How I long for the smell of earth, two feet beneath the white blanket…
    Enjoy both xo Michaela

  13. Becky

    I am so sad I did not read this post earlier in the day…we would have had blueberry pancakes! My 3 year old LOVES LOVES LOVES blueberries and would be delighted with this ooey gooey mess! Thanks so much for sharing! I am looking forward to your info about blueberry bushes…we planted some last year and they did not do much sadly. The few berries they grew went to the birds too! I just recently found your site and love it!

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