Huckleberry Bear Claws

I made twenty-four huckleberry bear-claw pastries Saturday for a kid’s tenth birthday with a Pacific Northwest theme. Puff pastry filled with huckleberry preserves, shaped into the bear-claw fan. Reimbursement $50 tip $40.

The recipe is below.

Huckleberry Bear Claws

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 38 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups biscuit mix
• 2/3 cup cold buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 1 cup fresh or frozen huckleberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the filling. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine huckleberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries soften and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool 10 minutes.
3. Make the dough. Stir biscuit mix and buttermilk together in a bowl just until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 10x12-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Fill and shape. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Spoon the cooled huckleberry filling in a 2-inch wide strip along one long edge. Fold the opposite edge over to cover the filling and press the seam to seal. Cut the log crosswise into 8 equal pieces.
5. Cut the claws. On each piece, use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to make 3 shallow cuts along the sealed edge, stopping about halfway through, to create the bear claw shape. Fan the “fingers” slightly apart and place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake. Brush tops with remaining melted butter. Bake 15–18 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.
7. Make the glaze. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until smooth. Drizzle over warm bear claws and serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 225 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 39g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 390mg