Huckleberry Pie

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Huckleberry Pie

PIE-A-DAY #55

Ann Kirk is the Pastry Chef at Dominick’s and Little Dom’ s.

Just got off the phone with my mom who has just arrived in Montana to visit some childhood friends. She grew up there and it made me think of our summer road trips out to Whitefish to visit Grandma Moore. I always knew we were almost there when the road signs would start popping up boasting every incarnation of huckleberry you could dream of… “fresh wild huckleberries for sale”, “huckleberry jam”, “huckleberry syrup”, “huckleberry pancakes”, “huckleberry candles”, “huckleberry dacquiri”, “huckleberry moose sauce”…and my all time favorite, “huckleberry pie”.

Ann Kirk Huckleberry Pie

Huckleberry Pie

Pie Crust:

2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6 oz butter, cubed and cold
1/4 cup ice water
1 tsp vinegar

Combine flour, salt, and sugar together. Cut in butter until it is the size of small peas. Add vinegar to ice water and toss just enough into dough to form a ball that holds its shape. Add more ice water if needed. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes. Roll one round of dough out and place in pie tin. Chill. Roll second round out, place between parchment or plastic wrap on a sheet tray and chill while making the filling.

Huckleberry Pie Filling:

6 cups fresh or frozen huckleberries (if frozen, thaw and drain juice)
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp quick tapioca
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 ounce butter, cubed small

In a large bowl, combine huckleberries and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk to combine. Add sugar mixture to huckleberries and fold with a spatula to combine. Let macerate for an hour or so. Fill pie shell with huckleberry mixture, place butter cubes on top, and place top pie shell over all. Cut off any excess and crimp bottom and top dough together. Vent top by making small slits with a paring knife. Optional: make an egg wash combining an egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk and brush over the top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, lower temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for 25 minutes or until crust is golden and juices bubble up and have a jam-like appearance. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.