After I published my Huckleberry Friend post about Johnny Mercer the other day one of my readers expressed her disappointment that I hadn’t included a huckleberry recipe.
Amazingly, I had been so busy expressing myself as a chanteuse that the cook part of me had failed to make that connection!
So I’m rectifying the omission here. Many thanks to Cathy for the idea. I hope the students and teachers at Huckleberry Hill School like these bars.
Since I didn’t have huckleberries on hand I made the bars with the huckleberry’s close cousin, the blueberry.
If your berries aren’t very juicy, you may want to add a little liquid (see the Gathered Blessings comment below) and/or reduce the amout of cornstarch.
Ingredients:
3 generous cups huckleberries or blueberries (you may use frozen ones, but defrost them before cooking!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) sweet butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) sweet butter
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
In a saucepan combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the cornstarch paste and cook over low heat , stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Set it aside to cool.
In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients and cut the butter into the mixture. Pat 3/4 of this crumb mixture into a the prepared baking dish. Add the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool the bars thoroughly before removing the foil and slicing. Makes from 16 to 32 bars, depending on your slicing skills.
Johnny Mercer looks for a good huckleberry recipe (Savannah Morning News).
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Tags: Blueberry Bars, Huckleberry Bars, Huckleberry Hill School, Huckleberry Recipes, Johnny Mercer Centennial, Johnny Mercer recipes
LOOOVe it Tinky – Thank you!
We’ll get baking right away!
Good Morrow~
As we grew huckleberries for the very first time this year, I have been looking for an old-fashioned recipe to use our bounty! Thank you, what a gift!
Trying this recipe within the next hour. I just picked about 4 cups of huckleberries from our plants this morning.
Absolutely love your emails~
In HIS love, light, and blessings,
Mama T
Gathered Blessings @
Tindel Den Cottage
Hi, Mama T–I love hearing from people in different parts of the country. We’ve just finished our growing season in Massachusetts! Enjoy your harvest, and the bars………..
Tinky
W*O*W! This recipe is a keeper!!!!
I actually added a bit more water as the huckleberries were very large, but not much juice~We had a bit of leftover applesauce and added that to it, as well~Ir was super tasting, made lots to share with friends and family, for sure!!
Thank you again! What a great gift in your website/blog!
In HIS love, light, and blessings,
Mama T
Gathered Blessings @ Tindel Den Cottage
Simplicity and sustainability advocate~
Buy local, recycle, reuse, grow your own~