I am in sweet heaven. 

I sweetened the softened cream cheese with a little sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. 

For the blueberry syrup I simmered pure maple syrup with a handful of blueberries. 

The roll-ups are pan browned then rolled in cinnamon sugar. 

Lovefest I tell you.

I’m already dreaming of the next batch of French Toast Roll-Ups.  Perhaps a savory filling is in order.  Ah the choices.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For French toast roll-ups…

• 4 slices white sandwich bread crusts removed
• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 Tbl. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbl. milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• butter

For blueberry syrup…

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Instructions

For French toast roll-ups…

• Using a rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread.
• In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Spread 1/4 of mixture on half of each of the bread slices. Place a row of blueberries across the lower edge of each roll-up; roll tightly.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon in small dish. Beat egg and milk in separate shallow dish. Dip each roll-up in egg mixture. Heat 1 Tbl. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook roll-ups in skillet turning until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and roll in cinnamon/sugar. Serve immediately.

For blueberry syrup…

• In a small skillet warm maple syrup with 1/2 cup blueberries.

The post Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Key ingredients: fresh mint, limes, sugar, ice, rum, club soda and in this case blueberries.

Oh my.  How I love a Mojito.

Muddle lime wedges, mint leaves, and blueberries with a couple teaspoons of sugar.  For my Classic Mojito recipe I make a mint simple syrup. 

This time around I put the sugar straight into the glass with the lime juice and muddled away.  It dissolved quite well.

Fill the glass with ice, then add rum with the muddled mixture and give it a good shake.  Finish with a float of club soda.  The Blueberry Mojito tastes as refreshing as it looks.  Remember…. in mere minutes.

I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the origins of this beloved cocktail.  As it turns out the Mojito was a way for Cuban farmers to get down their cheap (fire water) rum.  They’d add a little of this and a little of that (lime juice, mint, sugar cane syrup) until it was tolerable.  Here’s a fun article with a little more history on this captivating cocktail.

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Blueberry Mojito

Servings 1

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 2 ounces light rum
• 2 ounces club soda
• ice

Instructions

• Reserve 3-4 blueberries for garnish. Place remaining blueberries in tall glass or shaker with 2-3 lime wedges, juice of remaining wedges, sugar and fresh mint. Use a muddler or end of a wooden spoon and muddle until well smashed.
• Add ice and rum to shaker and shake. Pour into a tall glass and top with club soda.

The post Blueberry Mojito appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Peach, Berry & Basil Fruit Salad with Orange Vinaigrette.

Something special happens when the warm orange vinaigrette meets the sliced peaches and berries.  Something really special.  This wonderful Peach, Berry & Basil Fruit Salad is sweet and sexy enough to be served as dessert.  I say let ’em eat dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

This is the second Cooking Light recipe that I’ve shared, in as many days, that allows me to incorporate fresh tender basil leaves.  Not sure if I’m more excited about my fresh herbs bursting with love or to share some lightened up recipes.  I hope you enjoy the direction we’re headed.

Never fear, with me you can be assured Adventures in Chocolate are always lingering in the shadows.  There are simply those times that fruit doesn’t compare to chocolate, even when it’s this good.

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Peach, Berry & Basil Fruit Salad {with Orange Vinaigrette}

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Cooking Light Magazine, May 2007

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette…

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 Tbl. sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbl. champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbl. butter
• pinch of salt

For the fruit salad…

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 lb. fresh strawberries halved
• 2-3 small ripe peaches or nectarines each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

Instructions

For the vinaigrette…

• Combine the first three ingredients in a small sauce pan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 15 minutes). Add olive oil, butter, and salt to pan, stirring with a whisk. Let stand 2 minutes.

For the fruit salad…

• Combine strawberries, blueberries, and peaches in a large bowl. Add warm vinaigrette just before serving. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.

The post Peach, Berry & Basil Fruit Salad {with Orange Vinaigrette} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I uttered the words “I have an abundance of blueberries” the other day and oh my word….you got on to me.  I promise you not a single blueberry was left unturned or uneaten.  The majority of them found their way into these awe-mazing Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars.

Mercy.

I called on my most treasured family recipe, Toothacher Bars, then made some simple modifications.  I replaced caramel with a layer of sugared blueberries, and replaced chocolate chips with white chocolate bits.

These gorgeous Georgia blueberries were so sweet and juicy.  Tossed in sugar, corn starch and lime juice (seems odd, didn’t have lemon…lime was perfect) before layering them on top of this glorious oatmeal crumble….oh my!

Pecans, white chocolate bits, and more oatmeal crumble sprinkled generously on top before baking to perfection.  I was committed to calling these bars.  And on Day 1 they were beautiful bars.  By Day 2 the blueberries began to release their delicious juices and when mingled with the oatmeal crumble….well they became a bit more of a crumble than a bar.

Blueberry Pecan Crumble warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sent us into a crumble rumble.  Oh yeah!

That was before I {Shared the Love} with my inventory team at the office.  They polished off the other 18 servings in no thyme.

Our work family has recently had our heart strings plucked.  My heart is working overtime for three Delaney families. I’m an optimist and feel a positive energy brewing.  Tammy, Sabina and Jan you and your loved ones have an army of support.  Remain strong.  xo Libby

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Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the crumble…

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup butter melted 3 sticks
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

For the filling…

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• juice of a lime
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup white chocolate bits

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 pan, then line with parchment paper.
• Combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Reserve.
• Combine crumble ingredients in a large bowl. Press a little more than 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of prepared 9×13 pan. Pour blueberry mixture over crumble, then sprinkle with pecans and white chocolate bits. Crumble remaining crumble mixture evenly on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

The post Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We lived in blueberry country. 

Early on my grandfather Boppy grew the most gorgeous cultured blueberries.  They were so sweet and big and juicy.  Later we relied on wild blueberries which bordered tree lines and paths throughout our property.  While it took a bit longer to fill our baskets, the reward was well worth it. 

The reward…was my sister Sarah making this heavenly Blueberry Coffee Cake.

I’ve shared recently that Sarah found an old recipe box with at least a dozen treasured recipes.  I’m recreating them one by one and loving the results as much as I did years ago.  While my sister insists on giving recipe credit for this coffee cake to Colonel Crane, Fitzwilliam, NH a neighbor of ours in the 1970s, in my mind it will always be Sarah’s Blueberry Coffee Cake.

Coffee Cake Instructions

What we’ve come to realize about old family recipes is they are simply stated with a certain understanding of cooking required.  We’ve had some good belly laughs as we’ve interpreted the less than detailed instructions that accompanied many of these handwritten recipes.  However for this coffee cake recipe there is nothing complicated.

• The instructions said to sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  So I did.  With a sifter.  The kind that turns otherwise ordinary flour into light aerated fine powder.  And makes for a nice tender cake.
• And when the instructions said to flour the blueberries…I did.  I made sure they were all well coated.  There will be no sinking to the bottom under my watch.
• Lastly, while the recipe didn’t mention this step, I liked the result.  Once the dry ingredients have been blended with the wet, allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes before pouring into prepared pan.  Note: that’s about how long it takes to preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Coincidence?  Perhaps.

This Blueberry Coffee Cake is everything familiar and comfortable and right.  The moist tender cake is dotted with juicy blueberries and topped with a classic coffee cake crumble.  Add this recipe to your family recipe box and years later you’ll be remembered for it.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

Author Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the coffee cake…

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup blueberries
• flour for dusting

For topping…

• 4 Tbl. butter melted
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

• Butter and flour 9×9 or 8×11 baking pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the coffee cake…

• In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla.
• Dust blueberries in flour then add to the large bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Pour into prepared baking pan.

For the topping…

• Combine all ingredients then crumble evenly over top of batter.
• Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

The post Blueberry Coffee Cake appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Blueberry, Basil & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad.

I recently saw an article in Cooking Light Magazine that featured 250 Calorie Pasta Dishes.  The idea was to start with a portion of your favorite cooked pasta, then add 3-4 of your favorite mix-ins to create a fabulous meal.  That got me thinking.

I’ve discovered a love for blueberries and goat cheese paired together.  I’ve also discovered, thanks to Gabby’s Olive Branch, a love for Tuscan Herb OVOO paired with Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar.  Add fresh basil, and in our case the lovely lemon basil, with chopped macadamia nuts and I had visions of this beautiful pasta salad dancing through my dreams.

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Blueberry, Basil & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For pasta salad…

• 4 oz. penne pasta prepared according to package directions
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
• 2 Tbl. macadamia nuts chopped
• 2 Tbl. fresh basil leaves
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

For blueberry herb vinaigrette…

• 1/4 cup Tuscan Herb EVOO
• 1 Tbl. blueberry balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Instructions

For pasta salad…

• Prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cool water and toss with 1 Tbl. olive oil. Chill or serve room temperature.
• Divide cooked pasta into two bowls. Sprinkle each serving with half of blueberries, goat cheese, macadamia nuts, and fresh basil.

For blueberry herb vinaigrette…

• Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients until they emulsify. Drizzle over pasta salad. Season with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste.

The post Blueberry, Basil & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Blueberry Goat Cheese Crostini {with Honey & Lemon}

There something really wholesome about a beautiful bowl of fresh spinach and mixed greens sprinkled with the fruit of summer.  That’s exactly how I’ve been enjoying my salads lately…with assorted berries, nuts & cheeses.  Last week when I got to the end of several of my salad ingredients I was left with spinach, blueberries, and a bit of goat cheese.  I drizzled that with balsamic vinaigrette and discovered my favorite salad of the summer.

That’s when the wheels started spinning and the need to recreate this flavor combination kicked into high gear.  Blueberry Goat Cheese Crostini sounded like a winning appetizer.  I cooked down a cup of fresh blueberries with a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a tablespoon of honey and a drizzle of my new Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar.  When the blueberries just began to burst I removed them from the heat and allowed to cool slightly.

I was excited to learn that our local market carried ‘Honey’ Goat Cheese.  It was infused ever so slightly with a lovely honey flavor which paired nicely with the lemon.  A little lemon zest on top to finish.  If you can’t find honey goat cheese, a drizzle of honey will do the trick.  I shared these Blueberry Goat Cheese Crostini {with Honey & Lemon} last night at a family gathering and found out I’m not alone on believing blueberries and goat cheese belong together.

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Blueberry Goat Cheese Crostini {with Honey & Lemon}

Course Appetizer

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbl. lemon zest
• 1 Tbl. honey
• 1 Tbl. blueberry balsamic or favorite
• 4 oz. goat cheese honey infused, room temperature
• 1 narrow baguette sliced and baked until crispy

Instructions

• In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat add blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and balsamic. Cook stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes just until blueberries begin to burst. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Serve blueberry compote with softened goat cheese and crostini.

The post Blueberry Goat Cheese Crostini {with Honey & Lemon} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Blueberry Basil Lemonade.

One summer when we were small we begged and begged our mom to let us have a lemonade stand.  Please mom.  We promise we’ll do all the work.  As I recall I was about 5 and my sister Sarah 8.  We had big plans but were lacking in ‘how to start a business’ experience and the start up capital required, not to mention knowing how to make lemonade.  Mom somehow was able to distract us time after time, until we eventually stopped asking.

Then one morning a big bowl of lemons appeared on the kitchen table.  There was no mention of their purpose, nor for the piece of cardboard and magic marker that laid beside them.  Mom was busy at the typewriter, writing her next article for the paper and Sarah was playing in her room.  “Mom, what are you going to do with all those lemons on the table?”  “No plan, I just thought they’d brighten up the room.”  “Mom, do you think we could make lemonade?”  And so on this summer day we made a big batch of lemonade.  With so much leftover, a lemonade stand was about to be born.

She encouraged us to think of everything we would need for our stand.  As we made our list we were pleasantly surprised to find our plan falling into place.  It just so happened there were extra trays of ice cubes in the freezer and a brand new package of plastic cups on the counter.  Mom noticed the piece of cardboard and a magic marker on the table, and suggested we might want to make a sign out of that.  Coincidentally the card table she had borrowed from a neighbor was still in the back of her car, maybe we’d like to use it for our stand.  And if needed we could count out some change from the jar that sat on her dresser, in case we had to break a dollar bill for someone.

I can still remember that day.  By late afternoon the traffic in front of our house picked up as families returned home from the lake.  First one car stopped, then another.  Our sign read 10 cents, they’d give us 25.  Business was booming and we were so proud of ourselves.  When eventually our stomachs longing for supper became too much to ignore, we packed up our lemonade stand.  We couldn’t wait to share our stories with mom as we sat at the table counting our loot.  Those were the days.  Barefoot and carefree the entire summer.

Pictured above is a favorite book from my childhood, published in 1963.  It’s titled Sarah’s Room.  The story of a younger sister who longed to be invited into her sister Sarah’s room.  “On Sarah’s wall, green trees grow tall and morning glories bloom.  Of all the rooms in all the world, the best is Sarah’s room.”  Her younger sister, who had once written on her walls was not allowed in.  The story could have been written about us and probably many of you.  Fond memories.

Tidbit:  Georgia is officially known as the Peach State, however recently blueberries took over as the most lucrative fruit crop.  The recipe below from Cooking Light is a nice variation on traditional lemonade and a great way to use fresh blueberries that are abundant right now.

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Blueberry Basil Lemonade

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 72kcal

Author Cookiing Light

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice about 3 lemons
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup fresh torn basil leaves I used our lemon basil
• 6 Tbl. granulated sugar
• 4 cups water

Instructions

• Pour lemon juice into a pitcher. Add blueberries, basil, and sugar to the pitcher and muddle. Add water and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl; discard the solids. Return mixture to the pitcher. Serve chilled over ice.

The post Blueberry Basil Lemonade {and the Lemonade Stand} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Red Velvet, White & Blueberry Dessert.

If you’re looking for a dessert treat that’s easy to make and can feed a crowd, look no further. Red Velvet cake (let me share a secret, they sell it at your grocer’s bakery counter baked and unfrosted), vanilla ice cream, blueberries, raspberries, Cool Whip, and strawberries layered in red, white & blue fashion.

Whether you’re making this festive patriotic dessert for two or twenty-two, everyone will love Red Velvet, White & Blueberry Dessert.

To serve ~ layer red velvet cake pieces in bottom of individual trifle dishes or cups.  Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, fresh blueberries, fresh raspberries, cool whip topping, a fresh strawberry, and mint leaves.

The post Red Velvet, White & Blueberry Dessert appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Look how festive a few simple ingredients can become.  Red, White & Blueberry Holiday Dessert Trifle.

In a trifle bowl (or other high-sided clear glass bowl) layer the following:

• Cake slices (such as angel food cake, pound cake, or red velvet cake)
• Fresh berries (such as raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries)
• Cream (such as cool whip, vanilla or white chocolate pudding)
• And repeat.  Alternating berry and cake colors to create a red, white, and blue layered dessert.

Recipe note:  For a variation, spread berry preserves on your cake slices or soak them in something boozy like Chambord raspberry liqueur.  Individual single-serving Trifles can also be prepared in clear plastic cups, where using vanilla ice cream as a layer is a wonderful treat.

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