Recipe Corner: Blueberry Buckle

Today's recipe is a new favorite at la maison de Gilroy Glynn, which we're posting because we actually received a request for it. The recipe is easily halved, preventing you from eating too much of the blueberry goodness.

Ingredients:
Streusel
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2/3 cup (4 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups (about 20 oz) fresh blueberries, picked over

Directions:
Streusel
Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with a flat beater and mix on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain. Add butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter lumps remain. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

Cake
Adjust the oven rake to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper, spray the parchment or waxed paper, and dust the pan with flour.

Whisk the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest at medium-high speed in a standing mixer fitted with a flat beater until light and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes). Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla until combined. Add eggs one at a time with the mixer running on the medium speed. Beat until partially incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). Turn the speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is almost fully incorporated (approx. 20 seconds). Stir the batter with a rubber spatula to remove any flour pockets. The batter will be very thick and heavy (like cookie dough). Gently fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the edges of the pan. Squeeze streusel in hand to form large clumps then break streusel over batter. Bake until the buckle is a deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove buckle from the pan, peeling off and discarding the parchment or waxed paper. Cool to room temperature.

Serves 8-10