Summer officially departed yesterday, but we still have time for one last burst of sun-ripened deliciousness! Today I’m testing a recipe from a charming cookbook celebrating a children’s classic.

The Blueberries for Sal Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2023), contains thirty recipes, ranging from drinks to desserts. Expect your classic muffins of course, but also try your hand at blueberry and chamomile tapioca pudding! The recipes are liberally sprinkled with Robert McClosky’s Caldecott-winning illustrations, with additional works by Piers Sanford.

As some of you may recall, my test kitchen is limited in that my son has allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. But luckily, there was an entry for blueberry-apple crisp that was perfectly safe, so to the kitchen we go!

The recipe was very simple and easy to follow. I created the filling (blueberries, apples, sugar, salt, lemon, and cornstarch) with no problem. The crumble topping was equally easy. The dessert smelled amazing and was a gorgeous rich purple color. The hardest part, honestly, was repeatedly telling my cat she couldn’t have any.

My kids were ready when this came out of the oven, and I served it hot with vanilla ice cream. The unanimous consensus was: YUM. Just one thing…the recipe recommends you bake the dessert until the topping is golden brown. I think my creation would have benefited from a few more minutes in the oven, just to give it that extra crunch.

The simplicity of the recipes and lovely illustrations would make this cookbook a lovely gift for a young baker. Or your favorite librarian!

Want More Blueberries for Sal? We’re making jam over here!