Polenta Pretties

This was a very quick and delicious recipe. The addition of the polenta added a corn muffin-like quality to the mini cakes. They were sweet, but not overly sugary. The glaze on top made them pretty and gave them an extra special touch. Make sure not to put too many blueberries in each cake because overdoing it will make the cakes soggy due to their small size.

Miniature Polenta-Blueberry Cakes
Adapted from Cooking Light 2001

Yield

2 dozen (serving size: 1 cake)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
  
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour and the next 4 ingredients (1 cup flour through baking soda),

stirring well with a whisk. Place the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg and lemon rind; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, and fold into batter.

Spoon the batter into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in center. Combine powdered sugar and juice, and drizzle over warm cakes.