We'll be your huckleberry

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Eric Barker

We invited readers to share their favorite huckleberry recipes, and now we’re headed to the mountains to pick more of the little purple gems so we can try out each one.

Judy Hoffman, of Lewiston, says her nephews request her huckleberry cream pie often. She also sent a muffin recipe we’ll be trying out as soon as we pick more berries.

HUCKLEBERRY CREAM PIE

1 9-inch baked pie shell

Cream filling

2½ tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Add milk and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Pour a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs and blend thoroughly then pour back into the saucepan. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Cool slightly and pour into pie shell. Refrigerate while preparing huckleberry filling.

Huckleberry filling

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar

2½ tablespoons cornstarch

2/3 cup water

3 cups huckleberries

2 tablespoon butter

1½ tbsp lemon juice

Mix salt, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Blend in the water and 1 cup of the huckleberries. Cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly and add 2 more cups of huckleberries. Pour over cream filling and refrigerate several hours or until set.

Top with 1 cup heavy cream whipped with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Now for the easy version:

1 purchased graham cracker crust

Jell-o instant vanilla pie filling

Cool Whip for topping

You will still have to cook the huckleberries.

HUCKLEBERRY MUFFINS

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

5 tablespoon butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup frozen huckleberries (frozen berries hold up better while baking)

Cinnamon-sugar mixture

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin-cup liners — this recipe does not work well without them.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream until blended.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Beat this mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the oats. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add the berries.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-28 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

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Judy Browning, of Lewiston, says her favorites are easy:

1. Add 1 cup huckleberries to your favorite apple pie.
   
   
2. Add 1 cup huckleberries to your favorite pancake recipe. If you don't want purple pancakes, add a sprinkle of berries to each pancake on the griddle before flipping the first time.

Kenny Harris, of Lewiston, says about this recipe, “I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”

HUCKLEBERRY RHUBARB PIE

1½ cups sugar

3 tablespoons tapioca

¼ teaspoon salt (a pinch works, but don’t it leave out)

3 cups of cut up rhubarb (ruby red from [late Nezperce farmer] George Riggers’ plant works the best)

1 cup strawberries (this where I used a cup of huckleberries instead of strawberries)

Combine the first 3 ingredients. Add the rhubarb and huckleberries.

Let it sit for a bit (about an hour), stirring often, but don’t hurt the berries.

Pour into your shell (which needs to be homemade).

Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

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click to enlarge

Eric Barker

HUCKLEBERRY MOJITO

Barker says he found this version online at feastingathome.com. Like most cocktails, it’s adaptable and customizable:

2 to 3 ounces white rum

¼ cup huckleberries, divided

15 leaves fresh mint

1 to 2 tablespoons simple syrup (½ cup sugar, ½ cup water) or liquid honey

2 ounces soda water

2 lime slices

Mint, lime wedges for garnish

Muddle mint and half of the huckleberries in a cocktail shaker until the mint is broken up.

Add ice, rum and simple syrup and shake well, then strain into an ice-filled glass. Add the soda water and whole huckleberries.

Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig.