Persimmons
You will see both the Hachiya and the Fuyu from
Good Humus. Maybe even a few Native persimmons.
Native Persimmon Pudding
In California we are familiar with the Asian Hachiya and the Fuyu
persimmons, rather than the native variety that flourishes in the Midwest
and South. The American Native persimmon is almost tropical in flavor and
makes the best persimmon pudding you’ve probably ever tasted, though there
is nothing disappointing about one made from Hachiya. The fruit must be
wrinkled and the flesh mushy-and when they are ripe you must separate the
pulp from the large seeds. Like the Asian Hachiya persimmons the native
persimmons are extremely astringent until it is practically falling out of
its skin, and then it is like eating silk. This pudding is not a cake, I
will be moist and soft, Persimmon puddings are always rich, and they always
taste perfect with cream, with our without a shot of bourbon mixed in! From
Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison
2 eggs separated
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups persimmon pulp, fresh or frozen, from native persimmons or ripe
Hachiya
6 tablespoons butter melted
2/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt mixed with 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
¼ salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a soufflé dish or a gratin dish. Beat
the egg yolks, sugar and persimmon pulp together in a bowl, then stir in the
melted butter, half and half, and buttermilk mixture. In a second bowl,
combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the dry
ingredients to the wet persimmon mixture, stirring slowly with a whisk to
combine them well. Whisk the egg whites until they are firm but not dry.
Fold them into the batter and then turn everything into the prepared dish.
Bake until the pudding has risen and is firm about 45 minutes. The center
will fall, but that is fine. Serve warm or at room temperature with cream,
softly whipped cream or poured heavy cream.