Delicious Blueberry Desserts

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Delicious Blueberry Desserts - Just For You!

Photos courtesy of U.S.Highbush Blueberry Council.

What can make your guests and family feel extra special? How about a wonderful blueberry dessert made especially for each one of them! As the final touch to any occasion -- from a special birthday celebration to an elegant patio dinner party - individual desserts are a happy surprise. And when you're planning a dessert buffet, they're a natural.

If you think making individual-size desserts is harder than making one big dessert, think again. With efficient shortcuts, you can make dazzling blueberry desserts fast and easy. The desserts featured here can be made hours ahead and, at serving time, you just serve the gorgeous desserts without fussing with slicing and plating.

Blueberry-Apricot Pot Pies are topped with rounds of refrigerated pie crust over a tart-sweet filling of fresh blueberries and dried apricots. The recipe makes four servings, so if you're expecting more guests, simply double or triple the ingredients. Make these gems earlier in the day and reheat or serve at room temperature.

From Our Cookbook: Blueberry Breakfast Bake | Blueberry Buckle | Blueberry Cobbler | Blueberry Streusel | More Recipes From Our Cookbook

Individual Blueberry Cobblers have all the wonderful aroma and flavor you expect from an American classic, but the technique is unique. Pour a batter into hot buttered baking dishes and top with fresh or frozen blueberries. While they bake, a golden biscuit top forms over a sweet blueberry filling to make sensational cobblers. These, too, can be made in advance and served warm or room temperature.

For a refreshingly cool blueberry dessert, make no-bake Blueberry Coconut Pudding Cups. Like individual cr�me pies, these velvety desserts go into the fridge and come out ready to serve.

Summer is the height of blueberry season-when they're most abundant. When you have fresh blueberries in the fridge, you can make quick desserts and enjoy them tossed onto cereal or yogurt, sprinkled on salads or blended into smoothies - or just pop them like candy.

A half-cup of blueberries has just 40 calories and contributes to our daily intake of dietary fiber and vitamin C. The USDA recommends adults enjoy two cups of fruit a day. (Go to www.mypyramid.gov for more information.) For more blueberry recipes visit www.blueberry.org

Blueberry-Apricot Pot Pies

1 9-inch round refrigerated pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup dried apricots cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 375°F; lightly butter four 3/4-cup (6-ounce) baking cups. Place pastry flat onto a floured board; invert a baking cup 1/2-inch from the edge of the pastry; with a small sharp knife, cut out a circle 1/2-inch larger than the cup; repeat to make 4 rounds; cut a small hole in the center of each. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch; add blueberries and apricots; toss to coat; divide equally among the buttered cups. With water, lightly moisten the rim of each cup; place a pastry round on each cup; fold under the edge and crimp. Repeat. Place cups on a rimmed baking pan. Bake until the filling just begins to bubble, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm. Or, bake earlier and reheat in a 375 F oven until warm.

YIELD: 4 portions

Per portion: 328 calories, 55 g carbohydrate, 12 g total fat (5 g saturated fat)

Individual Blueberry Cobblers

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-fat milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut butter into eight pieces; place one piece in each of eight 3/4-cup (6-ounce) baking cups. Set cups on rimmed baking sheet; place in oven until butter melts, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk; whisk until a smooth batter forms; divide batter equally among baking dishes; add 1/4 cup blueberries to each cup. Bake until the batter forms a golden crust on top and the blueberries bubble, about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Or, bake earlier and reheat in a 350 F oven until warm.

YIELD: 8 portions

Per portion: 266 calories, 36 g carbohydrate, 12 g total fat (8 g saturated fat)

Blueberry Coconut Pudding Cups

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla-flavored instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
1/2 cup non-fat milk
8 vanilla wafers
1-1/3 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut

In a medium bowl, place pudding mix, coconut milk and skim milk; beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place an aluminum foil baking cup liner into each of 8 muffin pan cups. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each. Set aside 8 large blueberries for garnish; fold remaining berries into the pudding; spoon equally into the baking cups, mounding the center. Sprinkle with coconut and top each with one of the reserved blueberries. Cover loosely and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove pudding cups from muffin pan just before serving.

YIELD: 8 portions

Note: Be sure to use aluminum foil baking cup liners; paper liners are not strong enough.

Per portion: 157 calories, 21 g carbohydrate, 8 g total fat (7 g saturated fat)

Quick Ideas For Individual Blueberry Desserts

Stock up on fresh blueberries and with just a few other ingredients you can make scrumptious desserts in a snap!

Use a melon ball scoop to make cantaloupe and honeydew balls. Toss the melon balls with fresh blueberries and shredded coconut; serve in parfait glasses or dessert dishes.

Line the bottoms of dessert dishes with very thin slices of pound cake. Top with fresh blueberries and drizzle with warm blueberry jam.

Toast waffles until crisp then top each with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt and a combo of warm maple syrup and fresh blueberries.

Toss fresh blueberries with chopped mango and pineapple; sprinkle with finely chopped fresh mint. Serve in brandy snifters or wine glasses topped with small scoops of lemon sorbet.

Layer in tall glasses: fresh blueberries, crushed cookies and yogurt; repeat layers to fill the glasses. Top each with cookie crumbs and a few blueberries.

Stir blueberries into partially set fruit-flavored gelatin. Refrigerate until set then cut into cubes and serve in dessert bowls topped with a dab of vanilla yogurt.

Combine fresh blueberries with thawed orange juice concentrate to just lightly coat the blueberries. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Spoon over fruit salad, yogurt, pudding or ice cream.

Recommended Reading
The Wild Berry Book : Romance, Recipes, & Remedies (Camp and Cottage)
by Kate Letcher Lyle

"Having been a berry lover and berry picker since a young girl, I found this to be a very lovely and interesting book. Lovely for the beautiful pictures of so many berries. Interesting for the variety of berries pictured and described. There are so many berries I've seen and wondered about, not daring to pick and eat, or being aware they are edible, not knowing how they are to be eaten. Now I have a reference. The book is a feast for the eyes with lots of useful information.~ Kathy Penn"

(courtesy: Amazon)

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