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I’m recovering from my broken wrist and have been able to bake some easy recipes. I’ve learned all the things we use both hands for, plus I’ve learned how to do things with one arm. One thing I can’t do is crack an egg into batter. I need to call for help.

Lucy: Let’s start with your Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe. It’s blueberry season and it’s always fun and delicious to discover a new recipe for blueberries. Of course there’s always blueberry muffins and blueberry pie, but I never had a recipe for blueberry coffee cake. This is a bundt cake recipe. Since it’s basically cooked upside down, it keeps the blueberries from falling to the bottom of the cake.

Linda: It’s my new favorite blueberry recipe. Since I’m cooking with one arm, you know it’s easy. I have frequently purchased a blueberry lemon cake at Costco and was addicted to enjoying that for breakfast. So I went searching for a similar recipe. I couldn’t use lemon because it would be impossible to zest or squeeze a lemon. I was excited when this recipe showed up in my recipe file.

Lucy: Did you know July is Ice Cream Month? With the temperatures in the 90’s everyday, we all scream for ice cream. My favorite way to indulge with an ice cream treat is our Ice Cream Cake recipe.We featured it a couple years ago and it’s in our Two Sisters Cook cookbook.

Linda: It’s called “Easiest Ever No Bake Ice Cream Cake.” This is the ideal cake to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. I sent the recipe to my teenage granddaughter. She plans to surprise her Mom on her birthday with this cake. I think it’s unusual that ice cream sandwiches are part of the filling. 

Lucy: Let’s finish with a frosty summer punch. It’s important to stay hydrated in these high temperatures. An icy, fruity punch is a cooling alternative to iced tea and soft drinks. I enjoy Cheerwine but would love to offer guests another option. You only need 4 ingredients, and it’s kid friendly.

Linda: This another easy recipe. During a sweltering July we only want easy recipes. As soon as I lose this heavy, constricting arm cast, I’m planning to stir up this punch. Yum, it will be a way to celebrate my healing. I’ve missed having my cookie and cookbook booth at the Landrum Farmers Market. Baking cookies with one arm just didn’t work. Our readers can find me there again in August.

 

Blueberry Coffee Cake

12 Servings

 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream (best to use use regular, not lite)

1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbs confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans if desired, and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over the batter. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl the brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar. (Recipe calls for 10 minutes to cool, but I prefer 5 minutes)

 

Easiest Ever No Bake Ice Cream Cake

 

Ingredients

Chocolate ice cream

5 ice cream sandwiches

12 Oreo cookies, crushed w/ 1/4 cup reserved

1/2 jar hot fudge topping or homemade hot fudge sauce

1 can Reddi-wip or homemade whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Line a 9×5 loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a good amount hanging over each long side.

Let your ice cream set out until it’s really soft. Spread a layer that’s about 1/2-inch thick evenly across the bottom of the pan, making sure to push it into all of the corners.

Line up 5 ice cream sandwiches on top of the ice cream layer. They will be a bit of a tight fit, but just press down firmly and they’ll conform to the pan. Spread about half a jar of hot fudge topping (or homemade hot fudge sauce) on top of the ice cream bars, and then sprinkle on a layer of crushed Oreo cookies. Make sure to reserve about 1/4 cup of the crushed cookies. Add the final layer of chocolate ice cream and fold the plastic wrap over the top. Place in the freezer for about 4 hours to freeze through. After freezing, lift the entire ice cream cake out of the pan using the plastic wrap and transfer it to a serving platter. Top it off with Reddi-wip or homemade whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed Oreo cookies. To serve, slice with a knife that’s been dipped in warm water.

 

Easy Party Punch

12 Servings

 

Ingredients

4 cups cranberry juice (use cranberry raspberry juice, if desired)

2 cups pineapple juice

1/2 can frozen lemonade concentrate or limeade concentrate

4 cups ginger ale

3 cups ice cubes 

Lemon slices or lime slices, and fresh berries for garnish

Directions

Combine the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, frozen concentrate, ginger ale and ice cubes in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Add the ice (between 2 and 4 cups of ice is best).

Add some lemon or lime slices and some fresh or frozen berries. Serve.

Notes: To cut the calories in this recipe, simply replace the ginger ale with diet ginger ale or club soda.