Ever since I can remember, persimmon pudding graced our dinner table

multiple times during the autumn months. The tangy fruits would drop to the

ground when ripe, and we had to gather them quickly before the opossums

got to them.

Persimmon pudding is one of those dishes that's in a class by itself. The

persimmon trees that I grew up with are hard to find. They had very small

fruit, which had more seeds than pulp. These days you are more likely to see

other versions that offer more pulp, such as Fuyu or Hachiya. Fuyu are the

ones that I find most often at the store.

• You can usually tell if they're ripe by their smell. It's very rich and

aromatic. To me, it smells wonderful!

• The Fuyu persimmons are slightly soft when ripe. I remove the core

from the top. Then I peel, slice, and chop; using my immersion

blender to purée. (See the video) You could also use a food

processor. (Inside of a Fuyu persimmon pictured below).

• The Hachiya persimmons (pictured below) need to be VERY soft to be ripe.

For these I just cut off the stop at the stem end and scoop out the flesh.

out the flesh. It has a reddish, transparent look to it.

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Small pinch of nutmeg (optional)

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• 1 cup puréed ripe persimmon pulp

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 1 cup whole milk

• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease an 8x8x 2-inch baking pan or dish*

1. In a large bowl, sift flour with all the dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix

the rest of the ingredients in the other large bowl; add to the dry

ingredients, while mixing, by small amounts until everything is mixed

well.

2. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top; bake for about 1

hour or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Can

be served warm or cold. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator.

* An 8x8x2-inch baking dish holds 8 cups when full. You can use

something equivalent by filling with water and measuring the

amount of water it holds.

Persimmon Pudding