Terra Americana

I had forgotten about this recipe until this morning when my mother was looking for something to do with the local blueberries that have been sitting in the refrigerator all week.  These cookies were always a hit when we made them as samples for the Farmers Market at the X.  The addition of vinegar creates a chewier cookie and brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit.  Below is a gluten free version that is baking in the oven as I type.  A terrific treat on a lazy rainy day.

To make this gluten free;

• 1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
• 3/4 cup of melted butter or Earth Balance (soy butter)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
• 2 tbsp white wine or Cranberry Orange vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 package of our gluten free Butter Cookie Mix
  
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

With traditional flours:

• 1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
• 1 cup of melted butter
• 1 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
• 2 tbsp white wine or Cranberry Orange vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 3/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pour the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the liquid ingredients and fold in using a pastry cutter. Use a bit more water if you feel the mix is too dry.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 f until the cookies become slightly brown. You can also add nuts or chocolate chips to this recipe. This recipe makes a couple dozen good sized cookies.

What you've shared:

Thanks for that tip too - a blueberry relish sounds delicious! I just made the cookies, but with a few alterations as I am on an island with no store. Used white balsamic vinegar, replaced the spice mix with lemon peel, cinnamon and fresh chopped ginger, and replaced soda with twice the amount of baking powder. Had to increase the flour too, but the result was delicious! Chewy and spicy.
Posted by Erica Landin, Sweden

Having returned from my holiday in Italy to find an abundance of ripe blueberries I finally managed to make these cookies. Everyone loved them (especially the kids)! Thanks for the recommendation. I've also been making black and blue jam (a mixture of blackberries and blueberries), blueberry vodka and also enjoying this delicious fruit with natural yoghurt and some Tuscan acacia honey for breakfast.
Posted by Samantha Bilton

More creative cookies:

• Orange Walnut Butter Cookies
• Coffee Cookies
• Apple Spice Cookies
• Pumpkin Frost Cookies

Photo Credit: Julie T Cecchini