Blackberry Butter
1 package (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cup) blackberries
½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened
Blueberry-Bacon Cornbread
3 slices center-cut, reduced-sodium bacon
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 package (6 ounces or 1 ¼ cup) blueberries
2/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
Blackberry Butter: Place a ceramic saucer in the freezer to chill. Combine berries, sugar and lemon juice in small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring gently to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until juices create large thick bubbles, about 10 minutes. Spoon 1 teaspoon juices onto chilled saucer; if juices thicken to jam-like consistency after 15 seconds, jam is ready. If not, cook another minute or so. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Knead butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula until smooth. Gradually mix in berry jam. Butter can be made up to 3 days ahead; keep covered and refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.
Bacon-Blueberry Cornbread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in 9-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; cool, and coarsely chop. Discard fat from skillet; do not clean skillet, leaving a thin film of fat inside. Whisk cornmeal, ¾ cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Toss blueberries and bacon with remaining tablespoon flour; set aside. Whisk milk, egg and oil in a small bowl. Add to cornmeal mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in blueberries and bacon. Spread batter in the bacon fat coated skillet. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve from skillet with blackberry butter.
bacon recipe courtesy of: Driscoll's Berries, PO Box 50045, Watsonville, California 95077-5045
