Blueberry Lush

As I'm sure anyone who has read more than two posts from me knows, I'm always looking for new recipes. It's the best way to learn about new styles, getting input from others. I've learned about foods from various parts of the world and learned about new recipes just by having conversations with others. Their tastes and preferences lead them down paths I'd never wandered because of my own.

The lush is reminiscent of Yum Yum Pie. Throw a few layers together on a pie crust and a cream pie is born. And you can make it with many ingredients - the version shared with me was a pineapple one, but I decided to do it with blueberries, because, well, blueberries are awesome.



I crushed up some vanilla wafers (which just happen to be great whether eaten alone or used as a crust) and mixed them with some m&m's and shredded coconut.

Then, I stirred in some melted butter and pressed it into a casserole dish. This would have been a good base for just about anything, frankly.

To make the topping, I first made whipped cream by beating the heavy cream for about 3-5 minutes, until the heavy cream became thick and fluffy. In a separate bowl, I beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

Next, I added blueberries, half of the whipped cream, and gently folded it together. This went right on top of that perfect little crust.

I made the next layer by making homemade vanilla pudding on the stove. The original recipe called for using frozen whipped topping and boxed pudding, but I'm a fan of the homemade variety. It's much better and after you've made it once, it's simple. It just requires some cooling time.

For the pudding, I whisked together flour, sugar, salt, and beaten eggs and heat to medium. I whisked in some milk and continued doing so as everything heated up, so for about 8-10 minutes. It started to thicken, and I removed it from heat, stirred in butter and vanilla, then let it cool down to room temperature.

Once the pudding was cool enough to not cook my cream cheese topping, I poured it over it. I put the rest of the whipped cream over that, then topped it with some toasted coconut and blueberries.

I was rather impressed with this one. I let it sit overnight to firm up more, as I prefer the pudding pies that allow you cut a piece and the rest stands up on its own instead of collapsing out into the empty space. This was well done here, thanks to proper density. The interesting thing to me about this was that this was a bit of a combo of two recipes I'd done before. Chocolate Chip Cookie Banana Pudding was a pudding of the cream cheese style, while my first Banana Pudding was the stove-top kind. This made a great combination, and with all the possibilities, it's a good one to keep on hand.

Blueberry Lush Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 cup mini m&m's
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup butter melted
2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

For the cookie base:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, m&m's, shredded coconut and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned.

For the topping:
In a stand mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream and beat for 3-5 minutes, until the heavy cream thickens. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add blueberries, half of the whipped cream, and fold together. Spread over the cooled crust. To make the pudding topping, beat eggs in a small bowl. In a saucepan, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and eggs and heat to medium. Add in milk. Continue whisking while the mixture heats up, about 8-10 minutes. Once the mixture thickens, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside until cool, then pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours to set. Top with remaining whipped cream.

adapted from hawaiian pineapple coconut lush and banana pudding