This name of this recipe always makes me laugh, so when blueberries went on sale I bought a couple of pints and told my daughter it was time to make “Blueberry Boy Bait”. She raised her eyebrows and politely mentioned she had homework. It seems nobody really liked my boy bait jokes (Todd said “Good luck”), but they did like the dessert.
This version of Blueberry Boybait is based on one from Renny Powell, a Chicago teenager who made it in the 1954 Pillsbury Bake-off. She joked that it was useful for attracting boys, hence the name.
The original version is about double this and can be baked in either a 12×8 or 13×9 inch dish. There’s also an interesting version from Cook’s Country over on Smitten Kitchen. I’ll have to try that one next, but I thought this one was great.
- 1 ½ to 2 cups blueberries (I used 2)
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (4.5 oz), spoon lightly into cup or weigh
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (reduce to 1/4 if using salted butter)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 inch square dish (2 quarts).
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Sprinkle chunks of butter (or grate it) over the flour mixture, then use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until evenly crumbly.
- Measure out 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons total) and set aside.
- To the remaining flour mixture, add the baking powder and stir well. Add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla and stir until blended.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg white with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold it into the batter (I was pretty rough with my folding technique and it still worked nicely).
- Spread batter across the bottom of the dish. Toss the blueberries with the cinnamon and spread over the batter. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over the top.
- Put the boy bait in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- Let the boy bait cool slightly, then serve warm. Alternatively, you can let it cool, then cut it and re-warm.
The Smitten Kitchen version is delicious but I was unsuccessful in my quest to use it as a way to get my niece to eat some fruit. I would guess you’re breathing a sigh of relief that Fuzz wasn’t interested in learning how to make “boy bait”. LOVE Todd’s response.
Our family liked this one a lot, so I’ll probably try the Cook’s Country version as well. From looking at the recipe Deb posted, it seems they were really trying to cut the sweetness as they not only cut the sugar, but increased the butter and eggs.
The extra blueberries look really yummy! I am curious to see how this recipe compares to the one from Cook’s Country, which I have made once. My taste buds were off at the time, but my husband said it was great. I will try it with more blueberries next time!
Thanks for the lessons Anna. It is a funny name for sure. This looks like a yum recipe to have on hand.
I’ve made this before Anna and it is delicious – funny name though! I LOVE the book you are showing. It’s always been one of my favorites.