Huckleberry Pankuchen

Mmm......When we were at Patrick's Point, the kids went out one day and looked for huckleberries, like all the other kids. They came back with two cereal bowls filled with tiny huckleberries. They said they were going to make a pie, and that I wasn't allowed to use them! But they never did, and when it was time to go home, I just dumped them in a jar and brought them home. This morning, Zac (who has a burgeoning interest in cooking) was brainstorming over what he could help me make for breakfast. I thought of pankuchen (which we often make with apples) with a fruit topping, and he said "let's make huckleberry pankuchen!"

So, he came into the kitchen with me and we both stemmed huckleberries for quite a while. They're kind of a bear to deal with, since they're so tiny, but having help was nice. Then we cooked them up in the oven pancake. The result was beautiful and delicious! I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture before we ate it, but it was sure good. It smelled like blueberry muffins while baking, but really had a distinctive taste.

Here's the recipe that fed Zac, Paul, and me (not Hibi because it wasn't vegan....) rather largish portions:

Huckleberry Pankuchen
Turn on the oven to 400. Put three tablespoons butter into a 9X13 pan, and melt in the oven. Wash and stem 1 1/2 cups (approximately) huckleberries (can use other berries). Blend together: 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup flour, 3 eggs, and 6 tablespoons sugar. When the butter is melted, pour the berries in a layer over the butter. Sprinkle liberally with sugar, especially if the berries are tart. Pour the batter over all and bake about 30 minutes until puffed and browned. Enjoy!