You've mastered the traditional persimmon pudding recipe. You've even taken a chance on a persimmon panna cotta. Then there was the persimmon jam that was a hit all through the winter. Savory recipes? You've done those, too.
It's time to revisit the pudding recipe that started it all, but this time with a few upgrades.
You'll see sweet potatoes and rum on the ingredient list, but don't overlook the black walnuts. These nuts are too intensely-flavored for some, but us real Hoosiers sure do like them. I scored my black walnuts from my mother's backyard in Columbus, Indiana.
A special thanks to my sous chef Chris for bringing persimmons into FARMbloomington. She foraged for these in a bank parking lot in downtown Bloomington.
It's late enough in the season that you shouldn't have a problem with underripe fruit, but it's always good to remember that you want to pick the squishiest--and therefore sweetest--persimmons. (Tip: Look on the ground, not on the branches, for your best-tasting persimmons.) Fruit that's not quite ready for primetime will dry out your mouth in the most unpleasant way. Leave those for the squirrels.
This recipes uses the Sweet Seasons Spice Blend.
Ingredients
- 3 cups persimmon puree
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Seasons Spice Blend (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup shredded sweet potatoes
- 2 cups flour
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped black walnuts (optional)
- non-stick spray as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- If you're starting with whole persimmons, remove the caps and rinse them. Then run the fruit through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds. You can freeze excess puree for later use.
- Combine persimmon puree, eggs, buttermilk, rum, vanilla, salt, spices, baking soda and powder, pepper and both types of sugars. Whisk well to combine. Fold in the sweet potatoes and flour and mix just until incorporated. Fold in butter to combine. Add walnuts and combine.
- Spray to large molds with non-stick spray and pour mixture in to fill the molds, leaving approximately a half inch from the top. Wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and bake for 75 minutes.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.
This recipes uses the .
