Old School Pastry

You all know I’m a sucker for old cookbooks, and The New Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Restaurants (Amazon link) is up there in favorites for me, not just for the recipes and locations most likely long forgotten, but the book is filled with gorgeous paintings from different artists of the locations themselves. I have two versions of this book – an updated smaller, hardcover 1950 revised version from 1946, and a larger spiral bound 1963 version.

Both versions contain many great classic recipes, and the Ozark Wild Huckleberry Pie from Burn’s Gables is in one of them. A description of the Burn’s Gables from the book:

Perched atop Boston Mountain on U.S. 71, this inn is midway between Fort Smith and Fayetteville, near Winslow, Arkansas. The dining room is open daily 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Overnight accommodations and vacation facilities. Closed the first of December to the first of March. Mrs. Lavada Burns has been the owner and manager since 1936.

Sounds like a divine place to visit if I was traveling back in time. As of now, it is abandoned after a lack of tourists and drivers. You can read more about the current building from an old Facebook post from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Today, we have recipes to bring back the past. And this one would be good to try.

A hot water pie crust is strong, durable and flaky, and bakes up forgivingly. Hot water pie crusts are often used in savory pies since it can stand up to a warm filling or softer ones. Don’t forget to use actual lard. Lard is your friend in baking – naturally trans fat free with the ability to give right proper layering a good pie crust is known for. Enjoy.

Ozark Wild Huckleberry Pie with Hot Water Pie Crust

Renee Shelton

A simple wild huckleberry pie.

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RECIPE TAG: pie

SERVINGS: 1 pie

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 cups wild huckleberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pie Crust

• 1/2 cup lard 1/4
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

• Make the pie crust the day before. Melt the lard and add in the hot water and salt. Mix well. Add in the flour, and knead by hand until the mixture comes together. Form into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
• Divide the dough into two halves. Roll out one part to line a 9 inch pie pan. Reserve the other half for the top crust.
• Mix the huckleberries, sugar, cornstarch, pinch of salt, and lemon juice in a big mixing bowl. Toss gently to mix all the ingredients. Fill the pie crust with the huckleberry filling, and cover with the top crust. Flute the edges, and create vent holes in the top crust.
• Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until the crust is browned and filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer to a baking rack, and let cool.
• Serve room temperature or cold.