Blueberry Boy Bait

I have kind of this weird obsession with the 1960s. In college (at least at my college), there were kids who wore cloaks and practiced swordplay on grassy areas and that wasn’t my thing. And there are people who have read Pride and Prejudice so many times they could legitimately pass for a Bennett sister, but, even as an English major, that was never really my time period, either. 1920s? Too flapper-y. 1930s? Too Depression-y. But the 1960s? I just find them endlessly fascinating–I love the style and nostalgia and literature and movies and TV shows and history and the sense that things are changing in huge and monumental ways. Plus, look at my mom reading a Redbook as a newlywed in 1963–isn’t she adorable?

Don’t get me wrong–I’m not under any illusion that things were perfect. But it’s just a period, probably THE period in history that’s more interesting to me than any other.

So Sara and I got this bright idea to go retro this week and post recipes from the 1960s. Which was fabulous in theory, because I love all things from the ’60s, right?

Um…turns out I’m not so crazy about the food. I started scouring old cookbooks, new cookbooks compiling old recipes, Junior League cookbooks, community and church cookbooks. There were some things like roasted chicken or spaghetti and meatballs or pot roast that I would totally still make, but they also don’t feel retro (because they’ve stood the test of time). But there were other things…unmentionable things…things combining maraschino cherries and pimentos and canned pineapple and MSG. I say this from a kind and hopeful place in my heart–I truly hope our recipes and cookbooks aren’t quite that obsolete in another 50 years.

Since Sara decided to go the main dish route, I refocused my energy on desserts, which was a significantly easier search because these are the recipes your mom and grandma made and have never gone out of style. I thought about my favorite recipes from my childhood, many of which I’ve already shared (like Texas Sheet Cake and Banana Slush Punch). I hemmed and hawed and list-made and wondered and tried recipes.

And then I stumbled across Blueberry Boy Bait in one of my favorite food magazines EVER (the same one from the Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake, if that gives you a point of reference for awesomeness). And I knew that was it, if for nothing other than the fact that it was called Boy Bait and I found the name hilarious (and much cuter than all the grunts, crumbles, and slumps…if a food has the same name as a noise I might make when I eat too much of it, then I’m not sure I can do it). And I kid you not, as it was cooling on the counter, my husband wandered in and said, “Oooooh, what’s that?!”, circling it like our dog does when we sit down for dinner at night. If I were in a position to be luring males with baked goods, this would have done it.

The ingredients here are super simple–all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk (whole, if you can find it), and blueberries. Oh, and for the topping, you’ll need some cinnamon, too.

Adjust the rack to the middle position (or the best position in your oven for baking; mine is NOT the middle position) and preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar

and beat on medium high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy (scrape the bowl as necessary). Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Reduce speed to medium and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup buttermilk. Repeat with another addition of flour, the rest of the milk, and ending with the final addition of flour. Take the blueberries (frozen or fresh, it doesn’t matter)…

and gently fold them into the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the additional topping blueberries over the batter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the blueberries.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes (or completely) before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with drizzled with cream and blueberries or topped with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Seriously. It’s amazing warm or not warm…I couldn’t even tell you which one I loved more, and I will have you know that I tested this valiantly–warm…not warm…for dinner…for breakfast…when walking past to see if it’s better when you cut off a little sliver and eat it in the dark when you tell your husband to pause the show so you can “check on the kids.” All because I love you guys. You’re welcome.