BUTTERMILK ALMOND HUCKLEBERRY MUFFINS

When I first saw these huckleberries, I thought they were already cooked.  Their deep magenta juice filled the bottom of the bag, and the berries were perfectly black, like a baked blueberry. But upon popping one into my mouth, I was hit with the fresh, tart flavor of something wild.  Tasting like an earthier, darker blueberry I instantly knew I had to make muffins.  These little berries were expensive ($10 a bag!) but if you live in the North West or in the state of Idaho (of which the Huckleberry is the state fruit) you're probably up to your ears in them and already baking away.  Lucky you!

This recipe combines almonds with buttermilk, and the nutty/slightly sour mix is perfect with any berry you might want to bake.  The muffins are petite and great for breakfast, with a little bit of butter and honey.  If you wanted to dress them up a bit, you could top them with your favorite streusel as well.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 finely ground almonds

½ cup sugar

1/3 brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of one orange

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 sour cream

2/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh huckleberries (or, if they're not available, use raspberries and blueberries)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F and put wrappers in and grease the edges of your muffin pans.  Set them aside. In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. In another large bowl combine the flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Gently fold in the berries. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result. Fill each muffin cup almost full of batter and add a pinch of ground almonds on top. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from pan, otherwise the wrappers will stick.