3/11/11

Blueberries and Cream Cookies


Have you ever had a blueberry picked straight from the bush? They are so amazingly flavorful that the cartons of blueberries you buy from the store seem almost tasteless in comparison. The first time I tried one was on a field trip of sorts in grad school. (Yes, you can still take field trips in grad school. It's awesome.) We drove out to a field where there were acres and acres of blueberry bushes which were being tested as potential new varieties for farmers to grow. After walking us up and down the rows of blueberries for half and hour and teaching about what makes a good blueberry bush, our teacher did something wonderful: he handed out huge containers and told us to pick whatever blueberries we wanted for the next ten minutes. Know those supermarket competition shows where contestants have to fill their shopping carts in under a minute? Imagine that with grad students in a blueberry field filling buckets. I happily ran from bush to bush, picking blueberries into my bucket and eating as many as I could. At the end of ten minutes, a joyful group of grad students with purple-stained fingers and lips boarded the bus to go back home. I think I ate half my bucket on that bus ride back, and I wasn't the only one. The blueberries were just that good. 


For those who don't have their own blueberry bush, or who don't want to wait until summer for a taste of some blueberries, this recipe is for you. It is a blueberries and cream cookie that is easily in my top five favorite cookies. Dried blueberries provide the fruity flavor, and an ingenious use of powdered milk and white chocolate gives them a rich, creamy taste. My husband described them as tasting like, "the cookie version of a blueberry muffin top." The cookies themselves are soft and chewy and sweet, but not too sweet. Eating one takes me back to summer days and eating blueberries right off the bush. 


Blueberries and Cream Cookies


Ingredients:


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T light brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 large egg
1 cup dried blueberries (blueberry flavored craisins also work)
1 recipe Milk Crumbs (see below)

Milk Crumbs:
1/4 cup plus 1 T nonfat dry milk powder
2 T all-purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup white chocolate, melted



For milk crumbs:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 T plus 1 1/2 tsp milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on baking sheet and bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. 
3. Transfer milk crumbs to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 T plus 1 1/2 tsp milk powder and white chocolate. Use immediately or store in an air-tigher container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For cookies: 

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream together butter, sugars and corn syrup until well combined. Add egg and mix until well combined.
2. Add flour mixture and mix until well combined. Add blueberries and milk crumbs and mix until well combined. Scoop dough into balls and place about 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until cookies are golden brown and tops begin to crack, about 10 minutes.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Recipe source: adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar as featured on Martha Stewart Living


9 Click For Comments:

These look delicious! - Sarah

Those look amazing! I think they sound even better than chocolate chip cookies. My hubbie is in grad school, but he hasn't taken any field trips:( I should forward your post to his teachers!

Thanks, Sarah and Angela!

Angela, you definitely should alert your husband's teachers that he needs some field trips. Tell them you'll sign his permission slip, if that's the issue. :)

Ugh! No fair! We never take field trips at my grad school. That's okay, though. I'll just pacify my wanderlust spirit with these yummy-looking cookies! Wow. Lovely photos!

These sound so good! Yumm! They look so perfect and soft!

These cookies look delicious. I've never had blueberry cookies.

i saw these on foodgawker! they look amazing!

You know I have a soft spot for blueberries -- but blueberries and cream! That sounds amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe!

wow!!!delicious blueberries cream cookies.

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