I grew up having nightmares about \u201cWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.\u201d I think it\u2019s because I knew I wouldn\u2019t have lasted 10 minutes in that place, constantly hyper-fixating on the candy that would do me in, on how I\u2019d meet my hypothetical demise. I\u2019m not saying that the great Gene Wilder is responsible for my anxiety disorder, but that tunnel of terror certainly didn\u2019t help things.<\/p>\n
To this day, I shudder to think of what I\u2019d 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\u2019m baking. Much like that of my preteen counterpart, impatience and temptation are usually my downfall, and I can\u2019t resist anything that tastes like blueberry pie.<\/p>\n
Spring has finally decided to stay awhile, and with it comes the sweetest, plumpest little blueberries, all primed for baking. I\u2019m stocked up for my first 75-degree picnic of the season, where I\u2019ll be showing up with violet-stained tea towels and fingertips that tell the story of what\u2019s 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\u2019s what warm-weather dreams are made of.<\/p>\n
The blueberry hall of fame<\/p>\n
The Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins<\/a> are among the most famous muffins on the internet, and for good reason. They came to The Times in 1987<\/a> in a pseudo-battle of the blueberry muffins, where they were pitted against another iconic recipe from the Ritz-Carlton<\/a>. Nearly 20 years and one digital revolution later, the answer is in the 21,000-plus ratings averaging five stars bestowed on Jordan Marsh\u2019s recipe, adapted by Marian Burros. They\u2019re 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\u2019ve made them countless times, and I think my only noteworthy modification is that I like to rub some lemon zest into the sugar.<\/p>\n View the recipe here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Chez Panisse made me do it<\/p>\n This blueberry cobbler<\/a> from the legendary Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., prizes the berries above all else by leaning on little more than the fruit\u2019s natural sugars for sweetness \u2014 just how I like it. That\u2019s why this recipe flies standby in my kitchen from May to October. It\u2019s the blueprint. (Pun intended?) It\u2019s 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\u2019m keeping it simple. Go check out the butter taste test<\/a> I did with Wirecutter, in which we try to answer the age-old question about price versus quality.<\/p>\n Alison Roman\u2019s blueberry and cornmeal tart<\/a> is a sun-drenched picnic in dessert form. I once tried this corn and blueberry ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery<\/a> called \u201cCorn to Run\u201d that I\u2019ve never been able to shake \u2014 mostly because of the name, but also because of how perfect the pairing is \u2014 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\u2019s sandwiched between a toasty, slightly savory cornmeal crust. Alison explains it all: \u201cIt\u2019s ideal for baking, slicing and bringing to any and all outdoor gatherings, or serving at home with a ridiculous amount of vanilla ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n View the recipe here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The Monthly Bake: Extra-tender chocolate chip scones<\/p>\n Share your photos!<\/p>\n Cheerio, scones! Y\u2019all 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\u2019ve inspired me to make my own berry-studded scones this weekend! Keep sharing them with me on Instagram @vaughn<\/a> or send them to me by email at baketime@nytimes.com<\/a>. (By submitting photos to us via email, you agree to our reader submission terms here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n