There’s no question, fresh blueberries are a pleasure to bake with. But, along with being quite expensive, their season is short. As a result, frozen ones become the backbone of winter blueberry desserts. Using them in a pie presents no problem. When it comes to putting them into a batter, frozen berries bleeding juice, turn that golden hue into a shade of purple green when baked. Not good! I’ve found a simple solution is to rinse the berries in cold water, then gently dry them between layers of paper towel. You will probably lose a bit of the berries nutrition, but for most part, the juice and vitamins will remain inside.
Pairing zucchini with fruit in baked goods might seem a little odd but no different than using carrots in cake. Zucchini has grown in popularity over the years due to its amazing growth rate in the garden and its versatility. It can be sauteed, baked, poached, stuffed, eaten raw and of course baked into breads, cakes, scones etc., etc.
These little blueberry/zucchini bars are extremely moist and tender. The lemon in the batter and the glaze takes them to the level of amazing in my opinion. We just loved them.
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- 2 cups zucchini, shredded (do not pack)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar (less if you prefer)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups flour PLUS 2 Tbsp (divided)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups WILD fresh or frozen blueberries
- 120 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- dash of salt
Ingredients
Cake Batter
Lemon Glaze
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- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 X 13-inch ( or 15 X 10 X 1) baking pan.
- In a small bowl, combine zucchini, buttermilk, lemon zest & lemon juice; toss to combine. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a third bowl, whisk 3 1/4 cups flour, baking soda & salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with zucchini mixture, mixing well after each addition. Toss blueberries in remaining flour; fold into batter.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake 50 minutes for 9 X 13-inch size or until light golden & a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth; spread over top while bars are still warm.
- This recipe easily divides in half for a smaller amount using an 8 X 8-inch baking pan.
Lovely bars —- I made half recipe in 10×10 baking pan