They're Selling Like Hotcakes: The Season is Short for Rare Wild Huckleberries
When I spotted wild huckleberries at Found and Foraged Edibles on Sunday, at our neighborhood farmers market, I couldn't resist.
I remember scouring the woods for huckleberries ages ago at sleep-away camp. So different from sweet, fat blueberries, these tiny, purplish spheres were few and far between. But cabin by cabin, we were sent out into the woods, mindful of bears, so that we could have huckleberry pancakes for breakfast the next morning. Obviously, Sunday lunch would have to be huckleberry pancakes too.
My husband is the breakfast cook at our house. Over the years he has experimented with so many pancake recipes that when he tried the Saveur recipe from Robie's Country Store & Deli last year, he stopped looking. Robie's flapjacks, with their crisp, buttery edges, are amazing. The only thing that could make them any better, was our lucky find of those rare, wild huckleberries.
Robie's Buttermilk Flapjacks
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 beater eggs
Additional butter for the skillet
Confectioners sugar
Directions:
1. Put flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
2. Whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and eggs in a medium bowl.
3. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together until just combined to make a thick batter. For tenderer flapjacks, don’t over-mix the batter.
4. Heat an 8” nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon butter and heat until the butter’s foam subsidies. Ladle in about ½ cup of the batter. Cook the flapjack, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total.
5. Transfer to a large plate, keep warm. Repeat process with additional butter and remaining batter to make 8 flapjacks in all. Serve hot, topped with butter and maple syrup and a dusting of Confectioners’ sugar.
Serves 4.
"Robie’s Buttermilk Flapjacks", Saveur, March 2008
Tracy's notes: My husband used a traditional skillet, not a non-stick skillet. Just before he turned the flapjacks, he sprinkled on a small handful of huckleberries.
--Tracy Schneider
kamera stative on September 23, 2009 at 02:55 AM
Absolutely fantastic! I've made pancakes all my life and have finally found the recipe that i will use for the rest of my life. the texture was slightly crisp, very fluffy, just melt in your mouth.
thebear on September 23, 2009 at 09:56 AM
Huckleberry pancakes are amazing. Those delicious little berries can actually be found on year around from a great company called northwest wild foods. Their website is www.nwwildfoods.com. They do all wild berries including the wild blue huckleberries and wild red huckleberries. Their berries are delicious and handpicked in the mountains of the pacific northwet.