Blueberry Buckle

So I was watching Good Eats with Eva one night as we were waiting for Daniel and Michelle to arrive from Chicago.  The episode was "Kinda Blue (Blueberry)" and as soon as we turned it on I knew what Alton Brown was preparing on the show, blueberry buckle.  Blueberry buckle!  Blueberry buckle is one of my favorite Alton Brown recipes and I sat there wondering why I hadn't made it for so long.  Right then and there, I decided that when blueberries were in season blueberry buckle would be the first thing I would make with them.

And I did.  I have made it using both fresh and frozen blueberries and I would definitely recommend using fresh if at all possible.  Blueberry buckle is a blueberry lovers dream as it is jam packed with the little blue orbs.  It is not too sweet, and the topping just takes it to another level of culinary delight.  The buckle is wonderful served warm out of the oven, but also holds up well over several days in an airtight container, if it even lasts that long.

I am so glad Eva and I watched this episode because it was a nice kick in the pants to get back on the buckle wagon.  Never again will I let a summer go by without preparing this delightful dish.  As for the other recipes from the episode; I currently have a disk of blueberry pie filling waiting anxiously in the freezer, and I haven't yet made the soda, but it is on my list of things to try.  Here's the recipe for those of you who are interested.  My suggestion, take advantage of the season and give it a try!

Blueberry Buckle
An Alton Brown recipe
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
For the cake:
9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
5 1/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups

For the topping:
3 1/2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
1 1/2 ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

Directions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly oil a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything is combined. Gently fold in the blueberries and pour into the prepared baking dish.

For the topping:
In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the butter. Integrate the butter into the dry mixture with a fork until it has a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle the mixture on the cake batter. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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