Two Great Ways to Enjoy Persimmons
Until a few years ago, persimmons weren’t a fruit I had come across before. One afternoon my step-mom brought home these darling little orange balls of sweetness from the store, and sliced them into her salad with some butter lettuce, avocado, and sweet onion. It was divine. These bright, round fruits bring a natural sweetness to just about anything and are also terrific sliced as a snack, baked in breads and cookies, steamed in puddings, or as a garnish on a simple platter of cheese and crackers. This time of year is perfect to get creative with your persimmons!
It’s Like Butter, Baby!
Looking for something rich to spread on your morning toast? Warmly spiced persimmon butter made in the slow cooker brings a unique fruity taste to anything you spread it on; and though a bit labor intensive, it’s worth it! I like to mix some in with Greek Yogurt. My son’s eyes light up when he takes a bite!
Ingredients
- 15-20 persimmons, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
Instructions
- Place persimmons into a slow cooker and drizzle the lemon juice over the top. Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours. Mash the persimmons in the cooker with a potato masher. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and agave syrup, set the cooker to low, and cook uncovered 8 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Transfer the persimmon mixture to a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Be careful if it's hot. Use a few quick pulses to get the persimmon butter moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth. Best to use within a week, or freeze for up to two.
A Spicy Holiday Cookie
Most people shudder when they think of fruit cake, but persimmons can be blended into a pulp, and added into bread, cake, or cookie recipes for a wholesome sweetness that brings joy to your taste buds! Here’s a spicy cookie that your holiday guests will gobble down, and then ask you for the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 cup persimmon pulp (about 4-5 persimmons coarsely blended
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground cloves
- 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into creamed sugar mixture.
- Add the raisins, chopped nuts, and persimmon pulp; mix well.
- Drop by the teaspoonful on greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. For extra dazzle, drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze.
Enjoy! Leave a comment below and let us know how you like to enjoy Persimmons.
Persimmon photo credit: angeloangelo via photopin cc
Butter photo credit: BellaEatsBooks via photopin cc
Cookie photo credit: Danube66 via photopin cc
