I know, I haven’t posted to Sweet Jumbles in, like forever. Maybe even two forevers, but I’m back now and you can breathe a sigh of relief. I’ve been taking lots of fun little trips and spending what free time is left at the beach. And, in case you somehow missed it, we’ve had a little bit of a heatwave and I only have a wimpy little window A/C in my bedroom. No oven will be turned under those circumstances!

Oh but I did make some delicious chocolate soup. Er, not exactly. You see, I have several large bricks of baking chocolate. Expensive baking chocolate too, since it’s fair trade. I have the common sense to put normal chocolate in the fridge during the summer. Every kid learns real fast not to leave her Kit Kats in the car, right? Well, I too put my chocolate (even chocolate chips) in the fridge. Why oh why, then, did I not apply this logic to baking chocolate? Granted, normally it doesn’t get all melty-like during hot days the way that milk chocolate does, but…. Yesterday I opened up my cabinet and found it all soft and melted. The funny thing is that it was wrapped in cellophane so I was spared from having a chocolate puddle and instead had several chocolate pillows which I was able to move to the fridge with minimal mess. The bricks are now all funny-shaped but I think they’ll still be fine.

…the misadventures of a baker in 100+ degree temperatures.

Prior to the heatwave but not immediately posted due to my travels I baked a delicious Blueberry Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping.  The recipe was originally for raspberry, so feel free to interchange any berry your little heart desires (aka, whatever berries are on sale). This cake is delicious and would be well served at breakfast. Well, actually, any time of day. Or night. Or several times during the course of an afternoon. You know how it is….  (PS interchange cake flour for all-purpose flour as you wish.)

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping
adapted from Betty Crocker

for coffee cake
2 c cake flour
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter, softened
3/4 c milk
1 egg
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
2 c blueberries

for topping
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 c butter, softened

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, prepare streusel topping by mixing all ingredients together with a fork until crumbly with pea-sized pieces of butter.
• In a large bowl, either by hand or with a stand mixer, mix together all coffee cake ingredients except for the berries.  Fold in berries by hand.
• Spread batter in prepared pan, sprinkle with topping.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing sides of pan.

serves: 12
calories: 250