P. E. I. WARM BLUEBERRY BROWN BUTTER CAKES

Chef Jeff McCourt, owner, cheesemaker and chef at P.E.I.’s Glasgow Glen Farm, says he bakes these sweet cakes with almost any in-season fruit — apples, pears or, this month, strawberries. But blueberries, a Maritime specialty, are his favourite, and their flavour is nicely set off by the nuttiness of brown butter and toasted pecans and the heady aroma of freshly ground cardamom.

Makes: 8 servings

Preparation time: About 1 hour 1/2 lb (250 g) unsalted butter 1½ cups (375 mL) sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla 2 cups (500 mL) fresh blueberries 3/4 cup (180 mL) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped pecans (optional: toasted) 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cardamom (optional: freshly ground) Pinch salt Whipping cream (optional) Maple syrup (optional)

1. To make brown butter: Place butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Allow to melt completely without stirring. It will begin to bubble, cooking out its water content. After this, it will come to the foaming stage, start to smell very nutty, and the foam will start to change colour slightly. You will see small brown bits — caramelized milk solids — come up through the foam. When this happens, remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a metal bowl to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease eight 3-inch (8-cm) ramekins.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled brown butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

4. Fold in the blueberries, flour, pecans, cardamom and salt. Do not overmix, as this will make the cakes a bit tough.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins until threequarters full and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes in the centre of the oven. A toothpick should come out clean when the cakes are done.

6. Run a knife around the inside of the ramekins to loosen the cakes.

Turn them out onto a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving with generous dollop of maple-syrup-doused whipped cream.