Blueberry Peach Buckle

For dessert the other night, I experimented with a blueberry buckle recipe. Instead of yogurt, I used Creole Cream Cheese. This uniquely New Orleans item is like a cross between cottage cheese and sour cream. For those not in the area, I'm also including a recipe for it. Secondly, I added peaches as just blueberries alone is a bit plain.

Here is the recipe:

Blueberry Peach Buckle

Serves 8

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

Buckle:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Creole Cream Cheese (or whole-milk yogurt)
2 cups blueberries
1 cup peaches, peeled and sliced

Crumb Topping: 

Mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Refrigerate.

Buckle: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 -inch pan. 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar with lemon zest. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, alternating with creole cream cheese or yogurt. Batter will be very loose. Stir in blueberries and peaches. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle crumb topping over fruit.

Bake for 1 hour. This buckle is very soft and moist so using a toothpick to test doneness will not work. If golden brown on top, the buckle is done. Let buckle cool on a rack for 30 minutes before removing it from pan.

Serve warm with ice cream. 

Dorignac's Creole Cream Cheese

A Metairie grocery store that stocks Creole Cream Cheese, Dorignac also provides a recipe for those out of the area.

•              2 gallons skim milk

•              ½ quart buttermilk

•              ½ rennet tablet (available at cheese specialty stores)

•              Half & Half optional

Combine skim milk, buttermilk, and the ½ rennet tablet in a stainless steel pot. Using a thermometer, bring the temperature of the milk to 80 degrees, stirring constantly and hold for five minutes. Remove from heat, cover tightly and allow to sit 3 hours. Drain off the whey (liquid remaining after the curds are formed) discarding this liquid. Pack the solids in 8-ounce portions topping with equal parts of half and half cream. Chill and serve with sugar or fruit. Creole cream cheese is excellent in ice creams and pastries.