Thursday, October 28, 2004
Hachiya Persimmon Cake
I worked at a restaurant in San Francisco (that shall remain unnamed since the only nice thing I can say about the place is that the food was outstanding.) and we served an incredible persimmon and apple salad. Other than as an ingredient in cookies, I had never had a persimmon before then. They are a terrific fall fruit, with a delicious spicy flavor. If you like mangos, you’ll like persimmons. The most important thing to remember is that there are two varieties, but both need to be peeled before being eaten. Hachiya is acorn-shaped and outrageously astringent until it's super soft. (The skin should be transparent and the fruit absolute mush before you try eating it.) This is what you would use to bake with. Try it over rice pudding that has been flavored with candied ginger. Fuyu persimmons are smaller, flatter, nonastringent and can be eaten while still firm. It has the same bright orange color as the hachiya, but it is squatter and rounder, and does not have the hachiya's distinctive point. Use fuyus sliced super thin in a salad with roasted onion and apple cider vinaigrette Yum. Maybe I'll post that recipe tomorrow, but for now, try this, it's super tasty.
4 to 6 very ripe, hachiya persimmons, yielding 1 1/4 cup pureed pulp
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each fresh nutmeg and ground cloves
3/4 cup butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp orange zest
Preheat oven to 350F.
Puree persimmon pulp until smooth.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
In an large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and combine well. Add the persimmon puree. Add half the flour and just combine. Add the buttermilk and persimmon puree and just combine. Add the remaining flour and stir until it just comes together, then stir in the orange zest.
Spoon into a 9 inch cake pan that has been greased with butter. Bake for 40 minutes, or more until knife comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter to cool completely.
Before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar.
This is also great served with a crème anglaise sauce or whipped cream with rum.
____________________________________________________
Bristol Farms meat departments sharpen knives for customers at no charge.
Some golf clubs are made of Persimmon tree wood.
On October 28th, 1919 Congress passed the Volstead Act providing for enforcement
of the Eighteenth Amendment also known as Prohibition.
It was a huge failure and was repealed in 1933.
On October 28th 1846 - Auguste Escoffier (‘King of Chefs and Chef of Kings’)
the Father of modern French cuisine was born.
Labels: Dessert
Comments:
<< Home
Post a Comment
Thanks for the recipe. When exactly do you add the persimmon puree?
Post a Comment
# posted by 
: 12/31/2008 12:05:00 PM
: 12/31/2008 12:05:00 PM << Home
<< Home
