Blueberry Boy Bait

Last week we had to bring a baked good for the third-grade bake sale.

My plan was simple.

Brownies.

Everybody likes brownies.

In fact, I already had the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix sitting in the pantry. If you've never had them, let me save you some time—they are the best boxed brownies on the planet.

Decision made.

Or so I thought.

Elli and all of her friends begged me to make Blueberry Boy Bait instead.

I didn't really want to.

For one, outside of Elli's little circle, nobody would even know what Blueberry Boy Bait was.

And two...

I already had the brownie mix.

But they begged.

And pleaded.

And gave me those sweet little third-grade faces.

I'm a complete sucker.

I can't say no to those girls.

This isn't the first time they've talked me into something ridiculous.

A few weeks earlier they convinced me to make strawberry-banana smoothies for the entire class.

Twenty-two smoothies.

Which meant I made **two** trips to Safeway before 7:00 in the morning because I underestimated how many bananas it takes to feed twenty-two third graders.

Not one of my brighter moments.

The smoothies were delicious.

The kids loved them.

I learned absolutely nothing.

So... Blueberry Boy Bait it was.

If you've never had it, Blueberry Boy Bait is basically a buttery coffee cake loaded with blueberries and topped with cinnamon sugar.

What's not to love?

As it baked, the whole house smelled amazing.

When it came out of the oven, it was warm.

The cinnamon topping was perfectly crisp.

The blueberries were bubbling.

It was, in a word...

Dangerous.

I looked at Elli.

"Are you sure we should take this to the bake sale?" I asked.

"We could still make the brownies... and, you know... keep the Boy Bait."

She thought about it for approximately two seconds.

"Okay."

Done.

Decision made.

At 9:00 that night I found myself baking brownies while the three of us happily sat around eating warm Blueberry Boy Bait.

Actually...

Elli had two pieces.

Don had two pieces.

I'm not entirely sure what life lesson I taught my daughter that evening.

Probably nothing good.

No regrets.

I've made this recipe several times now, and it's one of those rare recipes that's almost impossible to mess up.

I've used regular milk, whole milk and buttermilk.

Sometimes I use two eggs instead of the three the recipe calls for.

I always add a splash of vanilla because... well... vanilla makes almost everything better.

I've even doubled the blueberries once, although they all sink to the bottom anyway.

A friend made it with raspberries and swears it's just as good.

Personally, I'm sticking with blueberries.

If you decide to make it, my only advice is this:

Plan on making brownies too.

Because there's a very good chance the Blueberry Boy Bait never makes it to the party.

Blueberry Boy Bait
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

2 cups flour (plus 1 teaspoon to toss with the blueberries)
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 c. milk (whatever you have on hand, including buttermilk)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350º.
2. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan. (I prefer metal over glass.)
3. Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.
4. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated.
6. Beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture.
7. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon of flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Topping:
1. Scatter blueberries over top of batter.
2. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.
3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up).
5. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.) Freezes well too.