My husband picked up a rare treat one recent weekend: a carton of blueberries.

But he wasn’t about to use the whole stash for his fruit smoothie. I claimed a cup to make blueberry muffins.

Not just any ho-hum blueberry muffins, however. Berry Oatmeal Muffins.

Several years ago I cut the recipe out of a magazine — I can’t even remember which anymore — but I had never followed the exact recipe. Blueberries often are expensive, so I had always replaced them with the (free) red raspberries from my parents’ bushes. The results were delicious.

I prefer the tartness and color of the raspberry muffins, but my husband, whose favorite fruit is the blueberry, liked these better. These muffins are worth a try either way, and the recipe is simple enough to experiment with your favorite fruit (or whatever is on sale). Next up for me: Peach Oatmeal Muffins.

Berry Oatmeal Muffins
Adapted from an unknown source

1 1/2 tablespoons + 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, to taste
1 cup yogurt (plain or fruit-flavored)
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin pan.

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons oats and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the batter is moistened but still lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups almost to top, and sprinkle reserved oats and brown sugar over muffins. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12.

So I had an epiphany the other day, at the DUMBO flea market in Brooklyn. I was willing to pay $3.50 on a hot day for a delicious popsicle. $3.50! They’re not even filling! But it made me realize I could probably make popsicles just as delicious at home — and then I remembered I actually had a popsicle mold! I acquired said mold from a friend, who hosted trivia night at her house and gave it out as a prize. I promptly stashed it somewhere and forgot about it, until it got to be a billion degrees outside. Thanks, New York summer!

A couple of slightly overripe peaches and a handful of frozen blueberries later, I had delicious, awesome popsicles for a lot less than $3.50 each. This is a method moreso than a recipe — you could use juice instead of yogurt, any kind of fruit (mostly), and you could get creative. And, for a summer dessert, they’re not even bad for you. I bet a mojito popsicle would be pretty damn good!

Peach Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

2 peaches, pitted and chopped finely
1/3 c. frozen or fresh blueberries
2 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
splash vanilla extract
1 c. plain yogurt (whole milk is best)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the brown sugar. Once the sugar is melted, add the fruit and vanilla and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the fruit is just simmering and cook for 5 minutes or until the fruit is softened and the mixture has thickened slightly. Let cool to room temperature. Combine with yogurt and pour into molds. Freeze, and enjoy!

On a rainy Monday circa 5ish pm, this conversation took place on gchat…

5:15 PM Raissa: give me an idea.. what can i make that’s sweet and yummy? will bring to the office for the interns. oh and on the easy side.
5:16 PM Rachel: well, i have to say, the lemon bars I made were really good and easy. i was also just looking at this recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/blueberry-crumb-bars/. i think bars are a great thing to share. i prefer them to cookies, and they’re good to use fresh fruit
5:20 PM Raissa: yum! that looks great. may try raspberries instead.

You get the picture…

Raspberry Crumb Bars (inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s recipe)

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
3 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 additional teaspoons flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan. (I used a smaller pan and ended up with thicker bars).

On a work surface or in a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan. I lined my pan with parchment paper. It makes it easier to remove the bars when they are done.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, the 4 teaspoons of flour and lemon juice. Gently mix in the raspberries. Sprinkle the raspberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

And voila!

I usually suck at baking, but these bars were a breeze to make. They keep well in the fridge or at room temperature. Next time, I might even try a chocolate and frangipane variation.

Thank you Rachel!