Blueberry Lavender Blondies for a dinner party

I made these Blueberry Crumb Blondies for a friends welcome home dinner party. It was a really easy recipe and people really seemed to like them. It was especially good cause it wasn’t too sweet, and went nice after a rich dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup lavender sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and liberally grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder.
3. Mix in salt and lemon zest.
4. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough should remain crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
5. In another slightly larger bowl, stir together the lavender sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice.
6. Gently mix in the blueberries.
7. Place the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown.
9. Wait till it is completely cool before cutting. Took about an hour or so to cool.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Blue Cheese & Lavender Tart

My friends had a birthday party/ dinner party last week. In fact, these two twin brothers throw a pretty notorious dinner party usually one a month or so. I love baking for them and one of the twins confessed to preferring savory over sweet, which forces me to flex new muscles. And this particular savory tart stuck with him after he tasted it in January. I figured I should just make it again. I mean, it was his birthday, right?

Ingredients:

Crust

• *1 1/4 Cup Flour
• *1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Corn Starch
• *1/4 teaspoon Salt
• *6 tablespoons Butter Diced

Filling

• *2 large eggs
• *1/2 cup whole milk or cream
• *2 cups Caramelized Onions (see related recipe)
• *4 ounces bacon, diced, cooked and drained
• *2 teaspoons food-grade dried lavender
• *6 ounces blue cheese, such as gorgonzola, crumbled

Instructions:

Crust

1. 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and one-fourth teaspoon salt.
2. 2. Cut the butter until it is in very tiny bits.
3. 3. Add one egg and mix with a fork until a dough forms. (I usually use my hands until the dough forms.
4. 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle.
5. 5. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan and press to remove any air bubbles. Crimp the edges
6. 6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. No parbaking required.

Filling

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. 2. Caramelize onion by placing in a frying pan with a little olive oil and stirring until they are lightly browned. I like to then add in some balsamic vinegar and stir until it cooks off. Adds in some interesting flavors.
3. 3. Chop and cook the bacon. I like it crispy.
4. 4. Whisk together the eggs and milk or cream in a medium bowl.
5. 5. Add the onions and bacon, whisk to combine and pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Sprinkle with the lavender and crumbled blue cheese.
6. 6. Place the pie in the oven on the lower rack. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until almost set but still slightly soft in the middle.
7. 7. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.