What I make with blueberries this summer: mostly sweets, of course :-)

After sour cherries, it was time for blueberries to enchant our summer. Juicy, stunning, slightly aromatic, delicate to the point of instant destruction upon human touch, blueberries are some of summer’s most scrumptious treats- and yet, my referencing of them on this blog has been very inconsistent. I recently revisited my first blueberry recipe, and fondly reminisced the tenderness of the blueberry bush (now gone) we planted in our backyard, a decade ago. There have been the occasional blog posts, to be sure (here, here, and here), but nothing systematic, no detailed account of blueberries and/or blueberry recipes. Planning to rectify this now 🙂 My source of inspiration: the blueberry-picking trip we recently went on at Eenigenburg’s Blueberries in DeMotte, Indiana.

With a history that goes back 80 years, Eenigenburg’s Blueberries is one of the most popular destinations for blueberry fans across Chicagoland and NW Indiana looking to “create family memories and traditions for generations,” as per their motto.

Eenigenburg’s Blueberries is a family-run farm which grows 13 varieties of blueberries, that are generally available between July 5th and August 10th each year.

We actually visited them twice this summer because we just couldn’t stop dreaming of their scrumptious blueberries 🙂 The second time we stopped, the weather was sunnier than on our previous visit, and we collected blueberries from a different section of the farm – great opportunity to compare the different kinds of blueberries through using our senses, right there, in the field.

Abundant beauty and deliciousness:

The farm also sells a variety of blueberry/blueberry-flavored products, from jam to soap, and from salad dressing to coffee:

With bags and buckets full of berries…

…it was time for us to head home, and for me to start planning what to make with these scrumptious jewel-like fruits.

I started off with the blueberry and cherry tart below, which I created as part of my ongoing partnership with DUKA:

“The history of the DUKA company began in 1920, when Hjalmar Blomkvist opened his first shop with glass, porcelain and kitchen utensils in the Swedish city of Linköping (…) The turning point in the history of the company was 1962, when the former company of Hjalmar Blomkvist merged with 16 other shops selling glass and porcelain, and together they created the DUKA chain.”

DUKA’s baking pans provide consistent heat distribution, resulting in evenly baked desserts with a golden crust. The pans are also resistant to warping or scratching, and their non-stick surface ensures the easy release of cakes ️and tarts. * Note: You are welcome to check out the DUKA website to browse their high-quality products and to get 15% off your purchase with code chicagolovespanini15

I could hardly contain my excitement while baking with these scrumptious summer fruits! So much goodness to share and to enjoy:

I also used blueberries in my family’s staple summer dessert: homemade no-churn ice cream. Packed with gently added blueberries and topped with extra berries, this dessert was amazing – especially when complemented by a slice of burnt Basque cheesecake. Why not? Especially on my birthday 🙂

Indeed, using blueberries as a topping is a straightforward way to take advantage of their goodness, while packing your treats with scrumptious nutrients. The semolina pudding below is one of the desserts I grew up with, and it means a lot to me. Simple, humble, rustic, brimming with heart-satisfying deliciousness, this treat fills my belly with creamy comfort – magical then, magical now. Various juicy fruits are added, as well as bee pollen, honey, and dried rose petals. The summer vision is now complete:

Another use of blueberries as topping was in the carrot & ricotta rolls with carrot marmalade below, again as part of my ongoing partnership with DUKA. To showcase the delicious beauty of the humble carrot, I started off by making a carrot & orange marmalade (recipe credit: Silver Hills Bakery) Then, I made a cinnamon roll dough, to which I added homemade powdered carrot. I filled the dough with a ricotta & marmalade mixture, rolled it, cut into rolls, and baked it in my DUKA folk inspired tart pan. ️ The combo of fluffy dough and creamy filling packed with delicious carrot & orange flavors was so blissfully satisfying:

As a topping, the blueberries also shone through beautifully and deliciously in the banana bread French toast with caramelized bananas below. For a recent breakfast, I turned a few slices of homemade banana bread into French toast, and a couple of bananas were caramelized (I was generous with the use of heavy cream) I poured the caramel, added chopped hazelnuts, sour cherries, blueberries, and some fresh mint – and breakfast was served:

I also used blueberries in several salads, such as the farro salad below featuring peas, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cilantro and dill from the garden, as well as blueberries we collected during our recent blueberry-picking trip, all “bathing” in a honey vinaigrette. I just had to add some dandelion and coneflower petals – not sure it was necessary, lol

A fitting celebration to mark our first harvesting of homegrown peas, too, yay!

Last but not least, I used blueberries in the cookies below, based on a beloved family recipe, which I posted on the blog years ago. We usually make these during the winter holidays, using dried fruits like cranberries or raisins. I changed the recipe slightly, and I used blueberries instead of dried fruits. I served the cookies with homemade blueberry syrup, another family recipe. These cookies are packed with aromatic blueberry flavor, and the combo with ground walnuts makes them super soft. The way they melt in your mouth, mmmm…
🎶🎵”It’s a kind of magic,/A kind of magic…” 🎶🎵

Do you have a favorite blueberry recipe? Let me know in the comments 🙂

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