Some fruits bring back warm memories of my younger days. Huckleberries are one of those fruits. I haven’t seen a huckleberry in decades, but they are a fruit of memories.
My father loved to pick huckleberries – or, as we often called them, wild blueberries. Dad worked hard all week farming, but found picking huckleberries relaxing and would often go to the mountains on sunny Sunday summer afternoons to pick them. He’d bring home buckets of the most lush berries. The huckleberries were smaller than store-bought blueberries and bursting with taste. We ate the fresh huckleberries by the handful, and made many wonderful baked goods. A favorite was huckleberry muffins.
So. when I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Blueberry or Huckleberry Muffins, I had to give it a try for memory sake – even though I used blueberries instead of huckleberries.
The recipe was a winner. The muffins were easy to make and delightful.
Here is the original recipe:
One teaspoon salt seemed like a lot of salt for this recipe, so I reduced the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. I also used butter instead of shortening.
And, here is the recipe update for modern cooks.
2 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 cup milk 2 eggs 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 cup blueberries or huckleberries additional flour, if desired If desired, first coat the blueberries/huckleberries with flour. (Some assert that berries are less likely to sink to the bottom of the batter if coated in flour). To coat: In a separate bowl, toss the berries in flour to coat. Set aside Preheat oven to 400° F. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add milk, eggs, and shortening; stir until combined. Then gently stir the blueberries or huckleberries into the batter. Grease muffin tins (or use paper liners), and then fill each muffin cup approximately 2/3 full with batter. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned. http://www.ahundredyearsago.comBlueberry or Huckleberry Muffins
