Who Loves Persimmons?
Mr. P, our five-year old grandson, loves Persimmons. For Christmas he asked for a Persimmon fruit tree to be planted in the Grieb Orchard. We already have a Fuyu Persimmon tree so we planted a Hachiya variety instead. Mr. P experienced the difference himself when he bit into a Hachiya Persimmon fruit.
The two Persimmon varieties have very different purposes. The Fuyu can be eaten like an apple when ripe. The Hachiya is very bitter and comes to sweetness as the fruit matures to soft-ripe feeling. The very soft fruit flesh can be eaten like pudding and is very sweet.
So what does one do with the soft flesh of a Hachiya Persimmon fruit? Make delicious cookies!
Persimmon Cookies
From the Kitchen of: Joyce Willems from Granny (Ruth Stanley)
Servings: Makes 3-5 dozen
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Baking Persimmon Pulp (Hachiya variety)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda (sprinkle over pulp)
- 1 Cup sugar
- ½ Cup shortening or 1 Cube butter or margarine
- 1 beaten egg
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup finely chopped nuts
- 1 Cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Beat thoroughly persimmon pulp, baking soda, sugar and shortening until creamy. Add egg, then flour with sifted spice. Add nuts and raisins. Beat all ingredients together – batter will be thin. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min.