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Quick Summary
Spicy, soft, and moist persimmon cookies with raisins and a sweet orange glaze. This persimmon cookie recipe uses ripe Hachiya persimmons.
It’s December which means it’s time to turn on the ovens and get baking. My holiday baking list is long so I can’t waste any time. I asked Josh if he had any requests for Christmas cookies this year and of course he added his favorite Lime Coconut Snowballsand Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodlesto the list, but he also asked if we could make Persimmon Cookies. I looked at him with a blank stare. I’ve never even had a persimmon or a persimmon cookie. Josh said his mom used to make Persimmon Cookies every year and he loved them. Well, Josh’s mom came to visit us last week from California and brought us a bag full of persimmons. Guess what we made? Yep, a batch of Josh’s mom’s famous Persimmon Cookies.
Josh’s mom had to show me what to do with a persimmon. I was clueless:) I guess there are two kinds of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiyas, we used Hachiyas persimmons, which are better for baking. Make sure your persimmons are nice and ripe. We scooped out the pulp from the fruit to use in our cookies. The pulp is bright orange and sort of slimy:) I was a little afraid, but Josh’s mom promised me it was going to produce a good cookie…and she was right:)
The cookies have a few of my favorite spices-cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The cookies also have raisins in them. If you are a raisin hater, you can leave them out or add dried cranberries, but we love our raisins:) Josh’s mom sometimes adds walnuts to the cookies, but since Josh is allergic, we left them out. The cookies have a cake-like texture and are super soft. They aren’t the prettiest cookie on their own, but the orange glaze dresses them up a bit and compliments the spices.
A big thanks to Josh’s mom for sharing her Persimmon cookie recipe. We will be baking these cookies every holiday season from now on. It will be our family tradition. I am sure Caleb will love these cookies, just like his daddy:)
Cookies
The perfect cookies for the holiday season and a great way to use up persimmons!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture until everything is combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using, and raisins.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges and set. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the orange glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and zest together. Start with 2 tablespoons and can add more if the glaze is too thick. Whisk until smooth. Dip the cookie tops into the glaze and twirl the cookie. Set cookies back on wire rack for glaze to harden.
When baking soda is added, a reaction with the moist and slightly acidic persimmon creates carbon dioxide (CO2), which also plays a role in encouraging the pulp to thicken. With other fruits, this gelling doesn't happen because they aren't as high in tannins.
Fuyu persimmons serve a multi-purpose use. They're best eaten raw or sliced and added to salads, cereal, smoothies, but they are also suitable for baking and roasting. Hachiya persimmons, on the other hand, boast a creamy, jelly-like consistency best for baked goods such as muffins, cookies, bread, and puddings.
Trim the leaves off the top of the fruit, remove the stem, and slice the persimmon in half.Continue slicing the fruit into wedges, removing the black seeds from the center. Eat the fruit slices raw (like an apple), add them to a salad or cheese plate, or use them in baked desserts.
But after baking, this pudding will turn dark brown. Don't worry! That's perfectly normal. It's the reaction between the pigments in the persimmon and the alkaline baking soda in the batter that creates this browning.
Another set of cold food groupings to avoid include having crab with tea or persimmon. Xie explained: “Crab meat is a very cold type of food in TCM theory, and persimmon fruit is also cold in nature. Most people should avoid eating this food combination, as it can be hard on the digestive system.”
The fruit is easily chewable and has a delicious flavour, but it is not recommended for diabetics, obese and sufferers of gastroduodenal ulcer. Persimmons have a creamy and sweet pulp and have laxative, diuretic and hepatoprotective.
How to Tell Fuyus and Hachiyas Apart. The one you can eat like an apple—Fuyu—is short, squat, and firm. The persimmon you have to ripen until it is squishy, and then you eat or use the pulp—Hachiya—looks like a large orange acorn.
Persimmons are sweet, versatile fruits full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial plant compounds. What's more, they may promote heart health, reduce inflammation, support healthy vision, and keep your digestive system healthy. Plus, they are tasty and pair well with many foods.
Just be sure to catch them while you can! They are in season from October through January. What to look for: Two common varieties are Hachiya and Fuyu; they differ slightly in appearance but have unique textures and flavors. Hachiya persimmons are round with one pointy end (think: super-sized acorn).
It is best to store them at room temperature. Ripe persimmons are best eaten immediately, but you can refrigerate them for 1 or 2 days. Unripe persimmons will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month. Keep refrigerated persimmons unwashed in a plastic bag.
Persimmons have a delicate honey-like flavor and silky texture. They can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked, and are very versatile in recipes. Persimmon peels are completely edible. Whether or not to peel the fruit is a matter of personal preference and the recipe that you're using.
You can also freeze persimmons to use later in baked items. To freeze persimmons, puree the pulp. It is recommended to add 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid to each quart of persimmon puree. Place the pulp in a canning jar or freezer container being sure to leave sufficient head space.
The fruit might cause allergic reactions in some people, but this is uncommon. Eating the fruit in very large amounts might cause blockage of the intestines. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of Japanese persimmon during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
When baking soda is added, a reaction with the moist and slightly acidic persimmon creates carbon dioxide (CO2), which also plays a role in encouraging the pulp to thicken…” Ironically, it sounds like it is more important for non-Fuyu persmimons.
They are also a good source of fiber and manganese. If the taste wasn't enough, people should steer clear of unripe persimmons because the tannins, stomach acid and indigestible plant material can form a bezoar: a hard mass that can lead to gastric obstruction and surgery.
How Do You Ripen Persimmon Fruit? To hasten the ripening of a persimmon, you can place it in a paper bag alongside ethylene-producing fruits such as apples or bananas. This gas emitted by these fruits aids in the ripening process. Additionally, storing persimmons in a warm location can also quicken ripening.
Research has shown that baking soda can effectively remove germs, pesticides, and soil. 7 Here's how to clean produce with baking soda: Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to remove germs. Place the produce into a bowl or container.
Ethanol treatment is a method of reducing astringency in persimmon by spraying the fruit with a 30% to 40% ethanol solution or by packing the fruit in a sealed container with ethanol or sake vapors for 10 to 14 days at 50°F to 59°F (10°C to 15°C) (Figure 10).
Carbon dioxide is widely employed and the treatment consists of storing in a 95% CO2 atmosphere for 24 hours at 68º to 77º F (20º-25º C), but the fruit softens very quickly thereafter.
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