Huckleberry Heights - Picking Huckleberries

Since I have done so many posts on Huckleberries, I figured that it might be time to post a few pictures from my adventure into the wilds of the Washington Cascade Mountains (Mt. Adams) to forage for these elusive berries amidst the Forest Primeval.

So this is where I went... Up to the wilderness around Mt. Adams (Pahto or Klickitat - Depending on which tribe)

Mt. Adams is a stratovolcano, just like Mt. St. Helens (Loowit or Lawala-Clough) though Mt. Adams has been docile for the last 1400 or so years. This doesn't mean it's extinct by any means, just slower to erupt than St. Helens which is 30 miles west of Mt. Adams.

There are several wild berry fields up there, but the lower elevations have a lot of Wild Blueberries.

And while wild blueberries are tasty, if a little tannic, they are still not Huckleberries.

So up to Sawtooth Ridge we went, where the fields of red leaved Huckleberries were to be found.

Armed with recycled milk jugs hooked to our belts, we trotted off amongst the bushes in the hopes of returning with copious amounts of berries.

We were in constant danger from the ravenous Huckleberry eating chipmunks... LOL

But in the end, we were victorious in our endeavor and returned home, without getting caught in a volcanic eruption, or having swarms of chipmunks raid our precious Huckleberry buckets.

Now I just need to make a pie.

Mangia!!
~~

On Cloud 9 - Huckleberry Meringues

So before I was laid low by illness, I had thrown together a quick dessert. Quick being a relative term. I simply combined bits of two separate things to make something new.

I make soft meringue a lot. Mainly to be folded into dry ingredients in a foam cake or for Lemon Meringue Pie, but the beauty of Meringue is that, depending on the sugar ratio, it can be hard as a rock, crispy yet still melt on your tongue like a cloud plucked from the sky.

Soft meringues are usually based on an equal amount of sugar to egg whites, where as hard meringue usually contains up to 4 times sugar than egg white. They are then dried in a "slow" oven (being about 150-175 degrees) for about 2 hours, until hard and crisp. The nice thing is that these base shells will store for 2 weeks, if kept in a sealed container, away from moisture.

For a filling, I chose Huckleberries, 2 different ways. I first made my basic Huckleberry Sauce that I used on my Brussels Waffles a while back (Which is really a saucier version of what I use for my Huckleberry Tart). For Half of it, I folded in 1 cup of unsweetened Whipped Heavy Cream to lighten the texture. For the Second batch of Meringue shells, I simple added the tart filling and topped with A dollop of whipped cream.

Huckleberry Meringues

1/2 cup Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Cream of Tarter
1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 TB Distilled Vinegar

Beat egg Whites with Salt until foamy, then add the cream of tarter.

Continue beating until soft peaks are formed, then slowly add the sugar in a steady stream.

Once the sugar is incorporated, continue beating while adding the Vanilla Extract.

Finally, to stabilize the foam, add the Distilled Vinegar.

You're gonna have yourself a REALLY thick Meringue.

Move the mass into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

Pipe rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Then Pipe stars around the edge to form a "pie shell"

Place in a 150-175 degree oven for about 2 hours to dry.
Voila! Hard Meringues.

Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Fill with your favorite filling such as Huckleberry, or Cherry Pie filling, even a cooked apple pie filling (though it's a little sweet), or better, Rhubarb pie filling (this cuts the sweetness of the meringues a little better)

Mangia!!
~~

The Eyes Have It - Linzer Augen (Linzer Eyes)

These have become a Christmas staple for me, and replaced the jelly filled cream cheese thumb-print cookies I use to make. Everyone loves them, but then again, who doesn't love anything filled with jammy goodness?

Traditionally these cookies are made with blanched almonds and contain Red or Black Current preserves between the layers, just like a Linzer Torte, but you can mix it up a little. I am not a big almond fan, so I use hazelnuts instead. After all, I grew up in Oregon where Hazelnuts abound and old habits are hard to break. Or is that "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" ;)

Current preserves, aside from red current jelly, are a little hard to come by on the west coast so I have used Mint jelly, Seville Orange marmalade, Apricot jam, Seedless Raspberry jam and, when available, Huckleberry preserves as filling. But, this year, I found Black currant preserves,

so that is what I am using this time... YAY!!!

A Linzer Cookie cutter makes this a little easier, and most of them come with interchangeable center pieces providing you with a variety of design options,

but you can use a 2 inch round cutter and a small 1/2 inch cutter to make a center window.

The recipe that follows is how I make them, which yields slightly brown dough, if you replace the hazelnuts with blanched almonds, you will get a pale dough. This is a personal preference, I like the contrast created by the darker dough, the color of the preserves and the dusting of powdered sugar.

This makes about 3 1/2 dozen, give or take a couple depending on your cutter size. That's finished cookies... as in 40 tops and 40 bottoms.... :)

Linzer Augen

Linzer Eyes

5 oz Blanched Hazelnuts (about 1 cup)
1 cup Unsalted Butter
3/4 cup Sugar, divided (your gonna steal about 2 TB out of it to grind the nuts)
1 large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 cups plus 2 TB Unbleached AP Flour (King Arthur seems to work better than Gold Medal or Pillsbury)
1 tsp Baking Powder (Aluminum Free)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Mace
1/4 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Confectioners' Sugar
2/3 - 1 cup Black Current preserves, Red Currant Jelly, Mint Jelly or whatever blows your hair back.

Toss the Hazelnuts in a food processor with 1 1/2 TB of the sugar and pulse until finely ground.

Always use the pulse button, otherwise, even with the sugar present, you will still end up with Hazelnut butter, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it won’t work for this recipe.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat about 3 minutes;

Add vanilla and Lemon Zest, then mix some more.

In a separate bowl whisk Hazelnut meal, flour, baking powder, spices and salt.

Add to butter mixture and beat on low until combined;

Divide dough in 2 equal portions;

flatten into disks, wrap in 2 layers of plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or over night.

When ready to begin baking preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment (or a Silpat, although I have one, I still prefer parchment)

On a lightly floured board or marble slab, roll out the first disk to about 1/4 inch.

Use the Cutter without the center cutter.

Cut as many 2 inch round cookies as possible.

Using a well flours spatula, move cookies to prepared sheets.

Place the center cutter in.

Roll out the second disk and cut as many windowed rounds as possible (hopefully the number matches the number of solid rounds you cut from the previous disk)

Combine scraps from both batches, re-roll dough and cut equal amounts of windowed and solid rounds.

Bake until the edges just start to turn a little golden, about 10-14 minutes depending on your oven. (In my experience it takes 10-11 minutes for electric and 14 minutes for gas, I have not tried these in a convection oven yet.)

These cookies are kind of touchy, like shortbread, so keep an eye on them cause the windowed tops will burn in a heartbeat.

Place on racks until completely cooled.

OK let me stop here, cause these cookies come with a party warning.

When you serve them, inevitably someone will yawn or breathe at the wrong time, with the cookie just a little too close to their nose, ergo inhaling a cloud of confectioners' sugar. The ensuing coughing fit can be hazardous to your health as well as your guests' health and any other appetizer bits you may be serving at your party.
Just a heads up, the confectioners' sugar may be traditional, but it has a bit of an issue staying on the cookie and usually ends up in your guest's face or their clothes, on your floor, all over the drapes or settling languidly over your cheese ball.

Then lightly sprinkle/sift/dust confectioners’ sugar over the windowed tops and set aside.

Spread about 1 1/2 tsp of preserves on the bottom of each solid cookie with an offset spatula.

Sandwich together with a windowed, sugar dusted top.

And Voila!

Store in a air-tight container with wax paper between the layers or eat right away... :)

Mangia!! very carefully and don't breathe
~~