Happy Birthday ... To Me!

Someone at some point said to me that once you reach a certain age .. ahem.. you don't really need to 'do' something for your birthday. I am choosing to disagree. I still want my special day, even if the only special part is an enthusiastic "happy birthday" wish and big kiss from my daughter. Oh, and an excuse to make a dessert! This year, I made a Blueberry Peach Buckle and homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream, both of which I have to share! This Blueberry Peach Buckle is so good, but it is not excessively sweet like some desserts since the fruit is really where the sweetness is, so if you skip the ice cream, it makes an exceptional breakfast or brunch item too. I had a slice for breakfast, myself!

Blueberry Peach Buckle
Ingredients - 1 3/4 c AP flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 8 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp, 1 c packed brown sugar (I use light), 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 c sour cream, 4 peaches (each cut into 16 wedges), 1 pint fresh blueberries, 1/3 c sliced almonds, powdered sugar for dusting

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Add half the flour mixture to the wet and mix on low. Add in sour cream, mix, then add the last of the flour mixture, combining well. Fold in the peaches and blueberries by hand. Transfer your batter to a 8x8 backing dish and sprinkle with almonds.
Bake for 90 - 105 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean (but good luck missing the fruit when you poke it). Let cool slightly, and serve warm or room temp. Dust with powdered sugar to serve or, if you prefer, you can serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!