Huckleberry Muffins

Huckleberries are a prized treasure in Montana.  If you are not familiar with them, they are related to blueberries but tend to be more tart and smaller.  They are a finicky berry-- they only grow in the wild and at certain altitudes.  Not to mention, they are a favorite of the bears.

                                   

The local Montanans are very secretive about where they pick their huckleberries.  I'd compare it to gold mining during the Gold Rush. No joke.  And those crazy, possessive, gold mining feelings definitely are contagious! 

                           

Here's my mom and I with purple huck stained hands and our water jugs full of berries.  We spent 2-3 hours crouched over in the dense woods picking berries.  It was quite a scene!

We brought home gallons of berries packed in coolers in our luggage.  I spent the whole flight home coming up with grand ideas of what to do with my gold berries.  

                          

Muffins were first on the list.  This is an excellent muffin recipe.  Of course, if you have not been to Montana, hunted all over for berries, spent hours breaking your back to pick them, froze the berries, and managed to get them all the way home, blueberries would work just fine!

                          

You really need to try huckleberries if you haven't sometime.  Also, this will serve as your warning: this batter is ADDICTIVE.  Don't even think about taking that first lick.  You wont be able to stop.

Huckleberry Muffins 

Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Makes 18-20 muffins

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups huckleberries, or blueberries (If your huckleberries are frozen, thaw and rinse gently)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin cups with with paper liners.

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda with a mixer on low speed.

Put the buttermilk, egg and vanilla into a bowl and whisk until just combined.  Slowly pour into flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.  

Pour in the melted butter and beat until the butter has just been incorporated, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until the dough in even and smooth.  

Finally, gently fold in the huckleberries.  

Spoon the batter into the paper lines until two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.