Blueberry Granola Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes on Paula Deen

This month, the folks over at Paula Deen asked me to come up with a blueberry cupcake recipe.  Blueberry has never been one of my favorite flavors.  I didn't like blueberries at all until I discovered that not all blueberries are huge and flavorless - like most of the ones you can find at the supermarket.  Last summer, I bought a bag of fresh, tiny blueberries at our local farmers' market and ate almost the whole bag in one sitting. I'm now a blueberry believer!

I wanted to give Paula Deen's readers a blueberry cupcake that would be special (not interchangeable with all the mediocre blueberry muffins out there) and, as is always my rule, it had to be something that I would like.  I ended up with these:

These blueberry cupcakes have fresh blueberries, granola (I used my homemade blueberry granola), chocolate chunks, maple syrup, and apple butter, and they're topped with homemade whipped cream.

Head on over to Paula Deen's site to get the recipe!

Blueberry Granola Recipe

How do you eat your granola?  I typically use mine as a mix-in for ice cream or yogurt.  I've also mixed granola into vanilla frosting with delicious results! This blueberry granola, however, was reserved for granola upside-down cakes and blueberry chocolate granola cupcakes.  Despite the granola being earmarked, I managed to shovel handfuls of granola into my mouth using long-forgotten skills that I have relearned thanks to Myles.

 Myles after eating beets (We can't give him granola yet or I'd show you that.)

Blueberry Almond Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

These blueberry almond cupcakes were inspired by the blueberry almond custard that I made for Taste & Create. In fact, not only were the blueberry almond cupcakes inspired by the custard, but each cupcake contained a little custard surprise inside.

The blueberry almond cupcakes were a hit with all of my tasters. They loved that it was rich, that a strong blueberry flavor came through, and of course they loved the surprise inside. The only one who wasn't a big fan of these cupcakes was me. I think I didn't love them purely because of the buttercream frosting. I know that I don't like buttercream, but periodically I decide to give it another shot. "Maybe with blueberries I'll like it better," I think to myself. But, nope, it's still buttercream.

Before You Begin

Before you begin making the blueberry almond cupcakes, you'll need two things:

1. Blueberry almond custard (assuming you want to fill them, which I highly recommend). Check out my blueberry almond custard recipe.
2. Blueberry syrup. You'll need the syrup for both the cupcakes and frosting. Smash up 11oz of blueberries either by hand or in a food processor or blender. In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring the blueberries and 1/2 C sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
   

Blueberry Almond Cupcake Recipe

makes 16 cupcakes

• 1 C almond flour
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 C butter
• 2/3 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C plain yogurt
  
• 2/3 C blueberry syrup

1. Whisk almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and yogurt.
4. Alternately fold in the flour mixture and blueberry syrup in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
6. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. After cupcakes cool, using a small paring knife, cut a cone out of the cupcake, fill with custard, and replace the top.
   

Blueberry Buttercream Frosting

When I frosted the blueberry almond cupcakes, I used half blueberry buttercream and half plain vanilla buttercream to make the swirl that you see in the photo at the top of this post. You could also opt to make the frosting all blueberry buttercream.

• 3 C confectioners' sugar, sifted (add more until it reaches your preferred consistency)
• 1 C butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 3 T blueberry syrup (or 6 T if you want all blueberry instead of half)
  

1. Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy.
2. Add vanilla bean extract and milk and continue to beat for another minute. If desired, add more confectioners' sugar to make it stiffer.
3. Put half the frosting in a separate bowl and stir the blueberry syrup into it (or you can put the blueberry syrup in all of it if you prefer).
   
4. Line half of a piping bag with the blueberry frosting and half with the vanilla and pipe away!
5. For added fun, top each cupcake with some almond slivers, blueberries, and sprinkles.
   

New Year's Eve Idea - Almond Custard with Berries

My New Year's Eve idea was purely accidental and due entirely to Jonathan deciding that almond custard would look good in a champagne glass.

Almond custard is not a typical New Year's Eve dessert, but doesn't the almond custard look so elegant in the champagne glass? Remember - your resolution to lose weight doesn't kick in until after the New Year, so toast and enjoy!

Two things you should know about the New Year's Eve almond custard recipe before you get started:

1. The recipe made just enough for two ramekins worth of custard. This is a perfect amount for you and your honey, but if you've got a party, you'll need more. In fact, even if it's just you and the man/woman you will kiss at midnight, you might want to make more to have some leftovers.
   
2. Custard makes a perfect filling for a cupcake! Make some extra to use in blueberry almond cupcakes.
   

Almond Custard Recipe

Doesn't the custard look kinda ugly in the ramekin?
I definitely recommend moving it to the champagne glass.
Also, I should point out that this was taken right out of the oven.
As the custard cooled, it became thicker and less drippy.

I got the almond custard recipe from my Taste & Create partner, Temperance, at High on the Hog. Temperance got the recipe from Abba off of a Daring Bakers forum. Temperance made the custard with strawberries, but I opted for some blueberries - any berry would work just fine.

• 3 T plus 1/2 t almond paste
• 1/4 C plus 1 1/2 t sugar
• 4 T butter, room temperature
  
• 1 egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 T plus 1 1/2 t all-purpose flour
• As many berries of your choice as you would like
  

1. Whiz the almond paste and sugar together in a food processor.
   
2. Pulse in the butter.
   
3. Add the egg, vanilla, and flour and mix until smooth.
4. Line the bottom of two ramekins with berries.
5. Evenly distribute the custard between the two ramekins.
6. Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes or until slightly brown on top.
7. Let cool slightly.
   
8. Stir and transfer to champagne glasses. Eat immediately or chill first if you prefer your custard cold.