This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh From Florida for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I come from a long line of Italians who have a lot pride in the food they prepare and put on the table. One of the greatest lessons that my mom and grandparents (my culinary gurus) have instilled in me is that the best tasting meals are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Which, even when spoken in Italian, translates to “produce grown in their own gardens.” Unfortunately, I don’t have the space or the skills to grow fruits and vegetables they way they did (and do, in my Mom’s case)— but I’ve got the next best thing. I’m lucky enough to live in the sunshine state, where I have access to tons of yummy ingredients that are grown right here. Florida is my garden.
Right now, Florida Blueberries are at their peak, so I have been including them in as many dishes as I can, including smoothies, salads, and of course, desserts. My favorite springtime cookie recipe just happens to star blueberries, so I whipped up a batch to enjoy over Easter weekend.
Fresh From Florida makes it really easy to know that you are picking up blueberries (or any other ingredients) that are grown locally in our state. You can look for their bright yellow logo in the supermarkets or when you are dining out at restaurants and know that you are getting the freshest and best tasting ingredients.
I found it very hard not to consume all of these delicious blueberries before they made it into my mixing bowl, but somehow I ended up with enough for the recipe. Not only are these cookies delicious, but incredibly easy to make. They are really light and fresh tasting which makes spring and summer the perfect time to enjoy them. I especially love that they have a fluffy texture to them (kind of like scones), which I use as an excuse to eat them for breakfast.
Here is the recipe for these delicious cookies:
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
- 1 cup fresh Florida Blueberries
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, and salt.
- In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a mixer. Add the egg yolk and beat to incorporate. Add almond milk, almond extract, and the lemon zest.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a little bit at a time. Stir in the almonds, then gently, fold in the blueberries. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while the dough is chilling.
- Using two small spoons, dollop small scoops of dough (about the size of a silver dollar) onto cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Cool the cookies on a wire rack. They keep great in a storage container for up to a week.
Adapted from Almond Blueberry Cookies from Giada De Laurentiis
When I popped over to the Fresh From Florida website, I found this recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake which needs to be made sometime very soon. Since my hubby is the cheesecake connoisseur in our house, I’m going to leave this one to him.
Florida Blueberry Cheesecake:
- Serves 6 – 12
Ingredients:
- 1 whole cheesecake (homemade or store bought)
- 4 pints Florida blueberries, rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup natural Florida sugar
- Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Directions:
- In a small sauce pot, combine 2 pints blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and water.
- Place sauce pot over medium high heat.
- Stir contents of pot as it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook blueberry mixture for 20 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Strain blueberry sauce through a sieve if desired.
- Let blueberry sauce cool to room temperature, and store in the refrigerator until needed.
- Top the cheesecake with some of the cooled blueberry sauce, leaving extra for garnish.
- Place fresh leftover blueberries on top of the cheesecake and garnish with fresh mint.
- Serve the blueberry topped cheesecake with extra blueberry sauce.
See more here.
These Blueberry Pancakes are also on my future breakfast menu.
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Buon Appetito!
