Thursday, December 14, 2006

Persimmon Pudding

Persimmon Pudding
Around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, persimmons go on sale like crazy here in Southern California. If you've never had these delightful fruits, you should give them a try. They look like tomatoes, but taste like apple, pumpkin and kiwi fruit combined...well, that's what I think. Anyhoo, after watching Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, Matthew and I wanted to make plum pudding for Christmas but after we realized all the steps and ingredients it takes to make it, we decided on a simpler pudding...and this pudding is quite easy; however check the pudding after 55 minutes because some ovens tend to get hotter than others.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8)

  • Ripe persimmons, Hachiya or Fuyu (enough to make 2 cups of persimmon pulp)
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • Fresh, whipped cream
DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the skin and seeds from the persimmons and puree the pulp in a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, combine the pulp, milk, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until well mixed. Stir in the chopped nuts, if desired. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9- by 13-inch baking pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream.

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