This is a vintage recipe for old fashioned Persimmon pudding, an American classic. You must use completely ripe persimmons — you will know they are fully ripe when they are soft and the pulp has an almost jelly-like consistency.
INGREDIENTS:
6 to 7 very ripe Hachiya persimmons
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup whole milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for coating the dish
1/4 cup brandy
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Prepare persimmons: Using a paring knife, trim away and discard the stems from the persimmons. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp and discard the skin. Place the pulp in the bowl of a food processor. Process the pulp until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure and set aside 2 cups of puréed pulp. Reserve extra pulp for another use.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and orange zest in a large bowl and set aside.
Generously grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the persimmon pulp, milk, brown sugar, and eggs and mix on low speed until evenly blended. Add melted butter and brandy and mix until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture in four parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions, until the flour is totally incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, mascarpone, or whipped cream.
