Blueberry Grunt

Adapted from https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/blueberry-grunt-recipe

Serve with plain yogurt and/or vanilla ice cream

I made this.

Servings: one 11" grunt

INGREDIENTS

Filling
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 quart (680g) blueberries

Dough
2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 T (57g) butter, cold
1 cup (227g) buttermilk, cold

STEPS

1) To make the filling: Blend the water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a skillet that’s at least 11” wide and 2” to 3” tall. (A 6-quart Dutch oven also works nicely here.) Stir in the blueberries.

2) Bring the blueberry mixture to a gentle boil over low heat. This may take 15 to 20 minutes using fresh berries.

3) To make the dough: While the berries are cooking, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

4) Work in the cold butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender.

5) Quickly and gently stir in the buttermilk to make a cohesive dough.

6) Using a tablespoon scoop or a rounded tablespoon measure, dollop the dough in small mounds over the blueberry mixture.

7) To cook and serve: Cover and cook over low heat until the biscuits are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

8) For each serving, scoop up berries with a biscuit (or two) and invert on a plate; the berries will spill down over the biscuit. Spoon any extra cooked berries on top.

9) Storage information: Store any leftover berries and biscuits, covered, in the refrigerator for several days; reheat before serving.


NOTES

Dale used rye flour (2024)

Why is this classic New England dish often called a "grunt" or "slump"? Grunts and slumps (the two names are interchangeable) are traditional desserts consisting of berries or diced fruit cooked under spoonfuls of biscuit dough. As the fruit slowly begins to bubble, its wet snufflings supposedly bear some resemblance to an animal’s grunt. When served, the dessert slumps on the plate in a sweet, juicy heap. (Really, this is much more appetizing than it sounds!)