Blueberry ‘pie’ topping a piece of cake
Here’s a ridiculously simple summer dessert — the happy marriage of blueberry pie and French toast with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.
It’s perfect not only for blueberry lovers, but also for those home cooks who consider themselves dessert-impaired.
For all of their wonderfulness, blueberries can be unpredictable, even in season. Some are sweet as candy. Others are tart enough to make your whole head pucker.
Naturally, then, whenever you plan to make a recipe with blueberries, you have to start by tasting them. If the batch at hand is too sweet, ratchet up the acid in your recipe. If they’re too tart, add more of the sweetener.
My favourite blueberry sweetener is maple syrup. The two go beautifully together. But be sure that your maple syrup is robust.
In general, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour.
The filling is thickened with cornstarch, which has a tendency to clump up. Prevent clumping by carefully mixing the cornstarch into the berry-and-maplesyrup mixture at the start of the recipe, then give it a second vigorous stir two-thirds of the way through the baking period.
One of this recipe’s bonuses is its versatility. Evenings you can serve it hot, right out of the oven, topped with whipped cream or ice-cream — and call it dessert.
Mornings you can serve it cold, topped with yogurt — and call it breakfast. Either way, you’ll find it delightful.