I grew up having nightmares about “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I think it’s because I knew I wouldn’t have lasted 10 minutes in that place, constantly hyper-fixating on the candy that would do me in, on how I’d meet my hypothetical demise. I’m not saying that the great Gene Wilder is responsible for my anxiety disorder, but that tunnel of terror certainly didn’t help things.
To this day, I shudder to think of what I’d do if faced with a chocolate river or snozzberry-flavored wallpaper. I see aspects of myself in all those little hellions, but I always felt for Miss Violet Beauregarde. When I make blueberry anything, I imagine myself turning violet just like her, mostly because I eat half of the blueberries before they make it into whatever I’m baking. Much like that of my preteen counterpart, impatience and temptation are usually my downfall, and I can’t resist anything that tastes like blueberry pie.
Spring has finally decided to stay awhile, and with it comes the sweetest, plumpest little blueberries, all primed for baking. I’m stocked up for my first 75-degree picnic of the season, where I’ll be showing up with violet-stained tea towels and fingertips that tell the story of what’s inside my tote bag. This is your sign to go score a farm-fresh pint, rush home and bake them into a jammy galette or fold them into muffins. It’s what warm-weather dreams are made of.
The blueberry hall of fame
The Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins are among the most famous muffins on the internet, and for good reason. They came to The Times in 1987 in a pseudo-battle of the blueberry muffins, where they were pitted against another iconic recipe from the Ritz-Carlton. Nearly 20 years and one digital revolution later, the answer is in the 21,000-plus ratings averaging five stars bestowed on Jordan Marsh’s recipe, adapted by Marian Burros. They’re more like tender blueberry cakes in muffin form, owed in part to the crucial step of mashing half the blueberries before folding them into the batter, lending extra moisture. I’ve made them countless times, and I think my only noteworthy modification is that I like to rub some lemon zest into the sugar.
Chez Panisse made me do it
This blueberry cobbler from the legendary Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., prizes the berries above all else by leaning on little more than the fruit’s natural sugars for sweetness — just how I like it. That’s why this recipe flies standby in my kitchen from May to October. It’s the blueprint. (Pun intended?) It’s also super adaptable with any other kind of fruit; and the cobbler topping, while fabulous as is, is primed for flavoring with a dusting of cardamom or a whisper of almond extract. I spring for high-quality butter, especially if I’m keeping it simple. Go check out the butter taste test I did with Wirecutter, in which we try to answer the age-old question about price versus quality.
Alison Roman’s blueberry and cornmeal tart is a sun-drenched picnic in dessert form. I once tried this corn and blueberry ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery called “Corn to Run” that I’ve never been able to shake — mostly because of the name, but also because of how perfect the pairing is — so this tart really scratches an itch for me. The oven does all the work of cooking the blueberries down into a jammy filling that’s sandwiched between a toasty, slightly savory cornmeal crust. Alison explains it all: “It’s ideal for baking, slicing and bringing to any and all outdoor gatherings, or serving at home with a ridiculous amount of vanilla ice cream.”
The Monthly Bake: Extra-tender chocolate chip scones
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Cheerio, scones! Y’all are on a roll, I have to say. Shout-out to readers Catherine and Kate, who were so on theme this week with their blueberry beauties. I think you’ve inspired me to make my own berry-studded scones this weekend! Keep sharing them with me on Instagram @vaughn or send them to me by email at baketime@nytimes.com. (By submitting photos to us via email, you agree to our reader submission terms here.)