This was an unusual summer season on the northern coast of California. Visiting my parents over labor day weekend I was surprised at the heat. Cooler than the valley where I had made my escape from, but still unusually warm. This was reflected by an abundance of wild huckleberries. They were everywhere on my parent’s property, lining driveways and trails. These delicate berries are similar in taste to a sweet cranberry or tart blueberry. They are dark blue in color, but some are a rare vibrant red.

We had such a fun time gathering handfuls with family. The boys loved to see how many they could find and proudly present them to their Pops. We ate so many, I did not come home with many left. What I did have I used with the boys to make the wild huckleberry toppings for these muffins. These muffins are very similar to my “One Pot- Blank Canvas” Muffins. I love the no-fuss versatility of a muffin, and the ability to pack some serious nutrition in a meal on the go for the whole family. This recipe used my raw yogurt and replaced refined sugar with maple syrup. I also used quail eggs from our neighbors, not to be fancy but simply because I had no eggs! Just use 2 large eggs in place, unless of course you just happen to have quail eggs on hand. These muffins were cherished and extra shared.

Wild Huckleberry Muffins

Ingredients:                                                                          Yield: 24 Large Muffins

• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 C All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 C Oats
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 C Butter
• 1 C Yogurt (Plain)
• 1 1/2 C Maple Syrup
• 2 eggs (or 8 quail eggs)
• 1 1/2 Huckleberry (or other berry- Blue, black, raspberry, strawberry)

Directions: 

Place berries and 2 Tbsp maple syrup in large pot. Bring to simmer over high heat and add 2 Tbsp corn starch. Once warmed and bubbling, puree with handheld immersion blender, (or place in blender once cooled). Pour into bowl and set aside. 

Place pot back over low heat (without washing, yippee!). Add the butter and stir until just melted, then turn off heat. Scrape the sides to get any berry bits into the mix. Add Oats, salt, maple syrup and yogurt, Stirring to combine.

Sift over pot the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Make a small well in dry ingredients, and add eggs. Whisk eggs in well with fork until yoke is well mixed. Slowly fold dry and wet ingredients until just combined.

Add to muffin tins, filling to just about the top. Using a spoon, place a large dollop in middle of muffin batter in each tin. Push down towards bottom to incorporate the berries into the muffin as well.

Place in 350 F oven for 18- 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on racks. Enjoy!