Marina's Menu: PURE LEAF TEA and Blueberry Tea Cake by Daphne Oz

Broadwayworld.com recently attended the launch of Pure Leaf's new line of bagged and loose leaf teas. Daphne Oz, the bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning cohost of ABC's The Chew was at the event to share her culinary expertise. Her newest cookbook, Happy Cook: 125 Recipes for Eating Every Day Like It's the Weekend has time saving recipes that will delight your family and friends. Daphne is a fan of Pure Leaf tea. She pointed out that they are ideal beverages to enjoy with your favorite foods. Just in time for holiday entertaining, we have the recipe for Daphne's scrumptious Blueberry Tea Cake that pairs perfectly with Pure Leaf Black Tea with Vanilla.

Blueberry Tea Cake

Makes one 9-inch square cake

2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

21/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed Light Brown sugar

Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square cake pan with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter, lay down two sheets of parchment paper perpendicular to each other, leaving overhang to use as tabs to lift the cake out when it is cooked, and grease again with another 1/2 tablespoon butter.

To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, whisk together 11/4 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave. Drizzle in the melted butter and use a fork to stir the mixture together until large streusel-like crumbs form. Set the streusel aside.

To make the batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 11/4 cups of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lemon juice. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and 10 tablespoons butter and cream on low speed until the mixture is combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and cream until the butter is airy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

Reduce the speed to medium-low and add half the reserved flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture, then the rest of the flour mixture, mixing until combined and scraping down the bowl as needed. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the blueberries

Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top evenly with the streusel and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a crumb or two attached. The top will be a rich golden brown under the streusel, and the cake will give springy resistance to pressure.

Use the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan, then discard and cool the cake completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve, or cover with a dome or plastic wrap for up to 3 days (though there's no chance it lasts that long in your kitchen).

Tip: This batter works very nicely in a muffin tin, a loaf pan, or practically any baking dish. The cook time will vary depending on whether you use a dark coated pan, cast iron, or glass dish, so just keep an eye out for the golden brown top and springy texture to make sure you don't overcook.

Blueberry Tea Cake is one of the many delightful recipes featured in The Happy Cook by Daphne Oz. Copyright © 2016 by Daphne Oz. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

To purchase THE HAPPY COOK by Daphne Oz, visit amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Cook-Recipes-Eating-Weekend/dp/0062426907/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477792274&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Happy+Cook+by+Daphne+Oz.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers

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