Here's a ridiculously simple summer dessert - the happy marriage of blueberry pie and French toast with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. It's perfect not only for blueberry lovers, but also for those home cooks who consider themselves dessert-impaired.
For all of their wonderfulness, blueberries can be unpredictable, even in season. Some are sweet as candy. Others are tart enough to make your whole head pucker. Naturally, then, whenever you plan to make a recipe with blueberries, you have to start by tasting them. If the batch at hand is too sweet, ratchet up the acid in your recipe. If they're too tart, add more of the sweetener.
My favorite blueberry sweetener is maple syrup. The two go beautifully together. But be sure that your maple syrup is robust. Until just a few years ago, the strongest-tasting maple syrup was labeled Grade B. But then the labeling system was changed. Now your eyes should be peeled for the words dark or robust on the label. In general, the darker the color, the stronger the flavor.
The filling is thickened with cornstarch, which has a tendency to clump up. Prevent clumping by carefully mixing the cornstarch into the berry-and-maple-syrup mixture at the start of the recipe, then give it a second vigorous stir two-thirds of the way through the baking period.
One of this recipe's bonuses is its versatility. Evenings you can serve it hot, right out of the oven, topped with whipped cream or ice cream - and call it dessert. Mornings you can serve it cold, topped with yogurt - and call it breakfast. Either way, you'll find it delightful.
Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."