Every once in a while, as of late, it seems that I find myself wistfully thinking of recipes from days gone by. I can easily rattle off dozens of recipes that I would make years ago, and then they fell out of favor with my family- most likely because some of those picky little palates would not eat them.
But as time goes by, and my kids are growing older, and growing out of the picky phase of eating, one by one, these recipes are coming back. We’re re-visiting them again and remembering how much we loved them once upon a time.
In this case, it is an old Cooking Light recipe for Blueberry Polenta Cakes. A few weeks back I had a group of ladies over for tea, and the first thing that came to mind to make for the gathering was these delicate little tea-cakes that haven’t been seen in my kitchen for a few years. Indeed, I remembered just how much I love them, and my kids love them, and my guests seemed to enjoy them as well.
The polenta part of the recipe title comes from the smallest smattering of corn meal added to a basic muffin-like batter. The cornmeal gives the little cakes texture, depth, and is an excellent counterpoint to sweet blueberries. You can make these with fresh or frozen blueberries- I used frozen this time around. The light lemon flavor is subtle, not overpowering in the least, and was such a welcome taste of spring on a very cold winter day.
Blueberry Polenta Cakes
1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 large egg 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour Cooking spray 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceDirections:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour and the next 4 ingredients (1 cup flour through baking soda), stirring well with a whisk. Place the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg and lemon rind; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, and fold into batter.
Spoon the batter into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in center. Combine powdered sugar and juice, and drizzle over warm cakes.