"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.

VERY ALMOND BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

This recipe from Hannaford Fresh Magazine (May-June 2011) is full of nutrients and antioxidants. Throw all ingredients in a blender for a fast and wonderful way to jump start your day.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup Frozen wild blueberries
2 teaspoon apple juice frozen concentrate
1 tablespoon Nature's Place natural smooth almond butter

Directions:
1. Pour almond milk and almond extract in a blender. Add yogurt, wheat germ, and cinnamon followed by blueberries and juice concentrate. Blend on low for 20 seconds, then switch to high and blend until all the blueberries are pureed into the mixture, about 20 seconds.
2. Drop almond butter into the liquid and blend on high until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately

BLUEBERRY CRANBERRY SAUCE

This Thanksgiving why not try a new kind of cranberry sauce loaded with antioxidants? This delicious sauce is best if made a day ahead.

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Directions:
Wash and pick over cranberries. Place in a medium saucepan with water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, stir and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

Slightly mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to insure all skins are broken. Add blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well.

Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a bowl, cool slightly and place plastic wrap directly on top of sauce to cover. Refrigerate until chilled.