Healthy Eating: Buckle down and enjoy nutritious blueberries in this sweet treat

I always have a favorite season — the one that I am in! Right now, that means it is blueberry season. I have been getting a steady stream of blueberries from my garden.  They are showing up in Saturday farmers’ markets, and U-Pick Farms in our area are open now.

Blueberries are a super healthy snack. One cup of fresh blueberries contains about 84 calories, 21g of carbs, 3.6g of fiber, and 15g of natural sugar. They are fat-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free. They are rich in vitamins C, K and manganese. Blueberries are among the highest antioxidant-rich foods on the planet. The compound anthocyanins is what gives them their deep color and helps fight inflammation.

Regular consumption of berries is associated with improved memory, cognitive function and slower brain aging. Blueberries are a low glycemic index  food. Their polyphenols can help lower blood pressure and manage blood sugar levels.

I love to snack on blueberries as if they are M & M’s! Blueberries are great with a bowl of cereal and sprinkled on top of pancakes. As a baker, I love to use blueberries in muffins, scones and cakes.

A buckle is a funny name for an old-fashioned fruit-studded coffee cake with a streusel topping. As the single-layer cake bakes, the weight of the fruit and streusel topping causes the cake’s surface to sink, cave in or “buckle”. A buckle is a perfect way to use blueberries.  It is delicious for breakfast as well as dessert. You can serve the buckle with plain yogurt or ice cream, and it is perfect all on its own. I recommend warming it slightly before serving.

Blueberry Buckle

Ingredients for the cake

1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup whole milk
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Instructions for the cake

Preheat oven to 375° and butter a 9×9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the egg and combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, until well combined. Add the blueberries and fold a few times with a rubber spatula until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Ingredients for the topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes 

Instructions for the topping

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the butter and combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She loves to cook from scratch using produce from the gardens she created with her husband. She attended culinary school and worked for restaurants, caterers and culinary schools. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. Deborah loves experimenting and developing new recipes. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including moderation.” Deborah can be contacted at [email protected].