BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE

This recipe from "Cooking Light" is a favorite of the Willihan family of Carrabassett Valley.

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less-fat cream cheese (softened)
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat first three ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake.

BLUEBERRY PIE ICE CREAM

Crumbled pieces of blueberry pie are churned into a blueberry-flavored ice cream. An ingenious use for leftover pie!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped blueberry pie pieces

Instructions
Combine blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Add cream, milk and salt to the saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Beat eggs and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until thick and light yellow in color. Slowly beat about one-third of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, then pour egg mixture into pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat and refrigerate until completely cool.

Pour into the canister of an ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions. Stir in pie pieces. Makes 4 cups.

"Blueberry Pie" with MULLED BLUEBERRY WINE

This warm recipe, a perfect winter refreshment, is found in the book "Drinking in Maine."  It was created by Fish Bones in Lewiston, Maine, located in the renovated Bates Mill No. 6 building on Lincoln Street.

4 cups Wyman's blueberry juice
1 750 ml bottle, Winterport Blueberry Wine
1 clementine, halved
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole star anise
8 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, split
¼ cup brown sugar
2 graham crackers, in fine crumbs
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 ounces heavy cream
Grated nutmeg

Put the juice, wine, cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla bean, and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat to boil, quickly reducing to simmer 5 minutes more.

Mix the graham crackers crumbs, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon and put in the bottom of a shallow saucer.

Halve the clementine and use it to wet the rim of the glasses. Upend each glass in the graham cracker mixture. Fill each glass ¾ full pouring mulled juice/wine through a strainer. Gently top wine with heavy cream in a thin layer. Add pinch of grated nutmeg.

BLUEBERRY SMASH

Find any opportunity to make this colorful tasty seasonal pitcher cocktail. I like to fill my glass with half liqueur and half club soda.

Ingredients
2 lemons, sliced into rounds
2 limes, sliced into rounds
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 cups vodka
1 cup St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)
Club soda

Preparation
Coarsely mash lemon and lime slices, and blueberries in a large pitcher. Stir in vodka, St-Germain, and 2 cups of ice cubes. Add club soda as desired. 12+ servings.

BLUEBERRY CORNBREAD BREAKFAST MUFFINS

This is a hearty moist lemony breakfast muffin that is best served warm right out of the oven!

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease muffin tin. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, eggs, butter, and lemon extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Fill the muffin tin with batter until two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick test comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 muffins.

MAINE VODKA ICE CREAM DESSERT

A tasty, easy dessert idea combines three Maine products: Cold River blueberry vodka, Gifford's ice cream, and wild blueberries. Trust me you've got to try this one out.

Ingredients:
Steep wild blueberries in blueberry vodka from Cold River Vodka for a few days, then pour over a bowl of Gifford's classic vanilla ice cream.

FRUIT PIZZA

This recipe using red and blue fruit for a patriotic theme was a big hit at a recent Independence Day family gathering.

Ingredients:
Slice and Bake Pillsbury Sugar cookie dough
16 oz. Cool Whip
16 oz. softened cream cheese
Fresh fruits which are colorful like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and Kiwi.
Flaked coconut toasted or not (optional)
Pizza pan, lightly greased

Directions:
Remove cookie dough from package and flatten onto pizza pan covering entire pan. Bake as directed for cookies until golden brown. Let cool. Mix together the Cool Whip and cream cheese (will have some lumps). Spread mixture onto cooked cookie evenly. Arrange fruits on top any way you like. Sprinkle coconut over. Keep chilled until time to serve. Best when made and consumed in the same day.