This is a dish that Chez Panisse makes in the autumn when persimmons come into season, but this version is perfect for a festive winter gathering. One of the beautiful things about this recipe is how unbelievably forgiving it is, while at the same time posing as something far more complicated and unusual. Made with the very, very ripe flesh of Hachiya persimmons, it's like if a sticky toffee pudding was made with fruit and crossed with a ginger cake—it is soft and caramel-y without being cloying.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 large very ripe Hachiya persimmons
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups of half & half
- 1 cup light brown sugar (darker sugar or white sugar work fine too)
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- fine sea salt
- ground clove
- ground allspice
- ground ginger
- ground black pepper
- grated nutmeg
Method:
- Set your oven to 375ºF.
- Butter an oval gratin dish of about 14 inches lengthwise (although any shape of pan, or even cake tin, of roughly these dimensions, will work).
- Sift together in a medium bowl: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and a big pinch of each of the following: fine sea salt, ground clove, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground black pepper, and grated nutmeg. Stir the dry to incorporate.
- Scoop out the flesh of three large, very ripe, almost translucent Hachiya variety persimmons (sometimes you need to buy them a week or two in advance if they’re on the less ripe side so that they’re ready for this recipe). Place the flesh into a blender and process until smooth.
- Beat the eggs together with the light brown sugar until fluffy.
- Stir in melted butter, vanilla extract, and the freshly grated ginger.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-egg mixture. Then, slowly, pour in the half & half.
- Follow with the persimmon purée and stir until just integrated. Fill your pan up to the ¾ mark (it will rise, significantly).
- If you have more batter, do not overfill; just grease and use another smaller pan too.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is set but still glossy in the center. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool before serving.
- It will be very moist––though you’ll be able to cut it like a cake, it will have a texture more like a steamed pudding. Serve with cold, vanilla scented, calvados-spiked whipped cream.
