CELEBRATE A BLUEBERRY CHRISTMAS WITH THE FAMILY

I can't believe our favorite season is here! Christmas is truly a magical time of the year, best enjoyed in the company of family and friends. Who doesn’t long for that warm feeling of love, peace, and joy the yuletide brings? And of course, it also gives us an excuse to eat… everything. Haha!

I love experimenting in the kitchen and trying new recipes. We’re a family of dessert lovers, so I always make sure there’s a yummy dessert on hand when the craving strikes. I try to mix it up and make it a point to add healthy, wholesome elements to the dish, and one of my absolute favorite ingredients is blueberries.

Blueberries are a chef’s best friend. Not only do they taste fantastic, but they are highly versatile, too! I used only to include them in desserts, but they can be used in savory dishes, as well. They can be made into jams, dressings, and sauces. You can even add blueberries to your favorite proteins like pork, beef, and chicken!

These tiny berries are loaded with nutritious goodness. They boast of four essential nutrients like vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin K, and manganese. Oh, and the beautiful purple-blue color of this fruit is from a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin. Flavonoids are plant compounds that are known to have a powerful antioxidant effect. Blueberries are also low in sodium, have virtually no fat and cholesterol, with only 80 calories per serving.

Luckily, blueberries in many forms are now available in the Philippines! Frozen and canned USA Blueberries are in stores year-round. If you want fresh USA Blueberries, you need to wait for a few more months as they’re harvested only from May to September.

I’m sharing with you a recipe I developed with one pack of frozen USA Blueberries. These USA Blueberry Crumble Bars are delicious and surprisingly easy to make. It’s a tasty mid-afternoon snack and the perfect gift this holiday season, too!

USA Blueberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 pack frozen USA Blueberries (drained)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• ½ (x2) cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter
• 1 large egg

Procedure:

1. Preheat your oven to 190C.
2. To create the crumble, mix ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
3. Add butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix, then put half of the crumble to create crust at the bottom of your baking pan/dish. 
4. Put the blueberries in a separate bowl, add cornstarch, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and mix gently.
5. Pour the blueberry mix evenly at the top of your crumble crust, then put the rest of the crumble over the top of the blueberries.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly brown.
7. Allow cooling. Serve and enjoy! (Optional: serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.)

Love cooking and baking? Here’s your chance to be creative in the kitchen and win awesome prizes from USA Blueberries:

“A Blue Christmas - Recipe Contest by USA Blueberries”

1. The contest is open to all Filipino citizens in the Philippines; participants must be at least 21 years of age. No purchase is required to enter the contest.
2. Post the photo/s of your USA Blueberries holiday dish using frozen and/or canned USA blueberries on Facebook and Instagram.
3. Post must include the full recipe and must mention and show the brand of USA Blueberries used.
4. Use the hashtags #ABlueChristmas #USABlueberryRecipeContest #USABlueberries #USBlueberriesPHL and tag @usblueberriesphl and the influencer you follow (@jenmaslang).
5. Participants may send multiple entries but can only win once. 

Deadline for submission of entries is on December 15, 2021. 

There will be ten winners. Entries will be judged based on the following:

• USA Blueberry as the main ingredient - 50 points
• Originality - 25 points
• Visual Impact - 25 points 

Winners will be informed via private messages and announced on USHBC–Philippines’ social media.

Each winner will receive gift certificates worth P5,000.

The decision of the judges is final. All entries will be considered property of USHBC–Philippines.

Just in time for the holidays! So don’t forget to bring that blue love home on your next grocery visit, whip up fantastic blueberry dishes and join A Blue Christmas! Just a friendly reminder to make your entry stand out to get points for originality. Don’t forget to tag me, too!

This is a sponsored post by USHBC-Philippines. For more information on blueberries, go to www.blueberry.org. Like and follow the U.S.A. Blueberries-Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.