My grandson has just discovered the joys of blueberries thanks to Robert McCloskey and his wonderful children’s book “Blueberries for Sal”. Sal and her mother go blueberry picking and are followed by a hungry little bear with a big appetite for blueberries. When the blueberries are dropped into the empty pail (because the little bear eats the berries faster than Sal and her mother can pick them) they make the sounds “kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk”!
My husband has always been a huge fan of blueberries and Robert McCloskey (…think “Make Way for Ducklings” too). During blueberry season he eats a pint container every morning. The whole thing. Every morning. And husband has pronounced this year a very good year for blueberries. Very sweet and plump.
Fortunately the farmers at the Collingswood Farmers’ Market have an abundant supply of NJ blueberries. The berries I used for this recipe (as we keep track so husband can critique) were purchased from Brookeberry Farm. This is a certified organic farm.
This week I also purchased blueberries from Springdale Farm, A. T. Buzby, DanLynn (organic), Fruitwood Farms, and Rick Hymer. But there are at least a half dozen more farmers offering blueberries for sale that I missed. And according to husband all are sweet. Next week I’ll try the rest!
This recipe was developed in 1954 by a Chicago teenager. It has circulated for nearly 60 years (especially now via the internet) because it is supposed to have the power to get you a boyfriend. Hence the name of the recipe….Blueberry Boy Bait. I’ve been with my (husband) boyfriend over 35 years so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. And I didn’t. He loved it!
This is a very simple and delicious recipe that uses 3 cups of blueberries! And it is certainly a recipe that children can help with.
Blueberry Boy Bait
Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
2 large eggs (from DanLynn Farms…love those pastel green ones!)
3 cups blueberries, fresh OR frozen (so you can make this all year!)
Ingredients for the topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, milk, and eggs. Mix with an electric mixer (I used an electric hand mixer) for about 3 minutes.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then evenly sprinkle the blueberries on top.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the blueberries.
5. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. (just enough time to clean up the kitchen and read “Blueberries for Sal”!
With the abundance of sweet, beautiful blueberries this year, I am freezing them for future pancakes, muffins, and boy bait. Simply rinse, let dry thoroughly (I spread them on paper towels), pour into a plastic freezer bag, and toss the bag into your freezer.
yellow room upstairs 
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