New England Blueberry Grunt
A summertime dessert made on the stovetop from start to finish.
Feel like you’re off the rocky coasts of the Northeast, facing the expansive gray fronts of the salty Atlantic Ocean with this recipe for New England Blueberry Grunt. A classic and quick way to get your summer blueberry dessert, all without using the oven!
At this point, there should be a dictionary to differentiate all of the different types of biscuits and fruit-based desserts. There are cobblers, buckles, slumps, crisps, grunts, Betties, and Pandowdies. Here, this grunt is the ultimate dessert for summer because it doesn’t use the oven. Both the blueberry filling and biscuit topping come together on the stovetop.
While the berry mixture is cooked down in the pot, the dough mixture is mixed together.
Tablespoon-sized dollops of dough are placed on top of the berry mixture. The lid is then put on top and every simmers together and steams. To make sure that there’s little condensation, wrap a kitchen towel over the lid of the pot, which will absorb excess water.
Served straight from the skillet, this New England Blueberry Grunt is the epitome of summertime in the Northeast. Blueberries burst and break down into a perfect sweet jammy consistency.
Some of the blueberry sauce gets soaked up into the bottoms of the biscuit topping.
Paired with scoops of vanilla ice cream, it’s the perfect creamy fruity combination. Give it a try with freshly picked blueberries during the summer or with frozen blueberries during the winter, giving you the taste of the warm weather days at any time of the year!
New England Blueberry Grunt
Watch How It's Made
For the filling:
- 4 cups (1 quart) blueberries, fresh preferred
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For the biscuit dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk, chilled
To make the filling:
- In an 11 to 12 inch skillet, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir in the blueberries.
- Over medium-low heat, bring to a gentle boil, and let cook until mixture is starting to thicken, 8-10 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. It should have a syrup-like consistency.
To make the dough:
- While the berries are simmering, prepare the dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using your fingertips, two forks, or a pastry blender. Stir in the buttermilk to form a loose but cohesive dough. Don't overmix.
- Using a tablespoon size scoop (or spoon), dollop the dough in heaping tablespoons over the blueberry mixture.
- Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until biscuits have cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Note: to keep condensation from dripping onto the biscuits and making them gummy, you can wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel to catch any drips. Serve and enjoy!
