Easy Persimmon Pudding

Today's recipe is a classic old- fashioned American dessert made during the holidays. If you are a frequent visitor to this blog, you might already know my love for traditional and rustic looking home-style desserts. Everyone loves easy no fuss desserts. This one is so special,it brings back memories of sweet, delicious after dinner desserts, toffee flavored with a touch of spice. I made this pudding for Thanksgiving but it is also made during Christmas.
Are you looking for a traditional pudding for Christmas? Then why not try this delicious persimmon pudding. Persimmon is in season during fall and winter months, so there is no better time to try this recipe.It is a very fall and Christmas like pudding, rich, custard-like creamy texture and is laced with flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg and rum. Yes, all the flavors of Christmas- it is just perfect for the holidays!

This pudding is magical with a delicious custard like texture. There is two ways you can make this pudding. You can either steam it to get a texture that is identical to English Christmas pudding or bake it with a water bath. This way it maintains its moist custard like texture and will avoid drying out. Persimmon pudding tastes delicious on its own, moist and buttery. If this isn't good enough,here are some way you can make it even more amazing. It pairs well with whipped cream, ice cream, apple sauce or dessert sauce flavored with rum or brandy.You can also add dried fruits and toasted nuts for a delightful crunch.

Persimmon pudding/ Simmon pudding is a traditional pudding of the old Northwest regions of the US. This is an age-old recipe found in old cookbooks. It is popular in regions like Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, etc. Persimmon pudding and persimmon bread are also common among the native Indians of the regions. Did you know there is an annual Persimmon festival in Indiana? There is a competition for the best persimmon pudding.

Want to know more about persimmon fruit...

Persimmon is an exotic looking luscious fruit with a deep orange color. When ripe it has a distinctive flavor, creamy texture, and honey-like taste. It is extremely sweet and is best for desserts. It is widely grown in China, Japan, and many Asian countries and also in the US. American variety has slight tartness, while the Asian variety especially the Japanese variety is sweeter. Native Americans consider it a divine fruit. It is referred to in folklore and literature of China. In India, it is called Amar phal meaning immortal fruit. It is considered a medicinal fruit and is used in Ayurveda. It is power-packed with essential nutrients and antioxidants.

The most important thing about persimmon is to let it ripe and get soft. The unripe one has an astringent flavor. When it is fully ripe it will be soft to touch, almost like an overripe tomato. At this stage, it will be thick jelly-like fruit, juicy and sweet. You will need really ripe persimmon for this pudding. There are so many recipes with persimmon, you can make pies and puddings, fruits salads, frozen desserts or sweet preserves.

Persimmon Pudding Recipe

Cooking time- 1 hour
Recipe type- dessert/pudding
Cuisine - American

Ingredients
Persimmon pulp- 1 1/2 cup
All purpose flour- 1 cup
Egg-2
Sugar- 3/4 cup
Butter- 1/2 cup
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
Milk- 1 cup
Heavy cream- 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder- a pinch
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Rum or brandy- 2 tbs (or rum extract- 1/2 tsp)

Using a paring knife trim off the top leaf part of the persimmon. Cut it into half and scoop out the flesh of the fruit. Make this into a fine puree.

Mix flour, spices, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Into a blender (you can also use a hand blender) add eggs, sugar and melted butter and pulse till it is well combined. Now add the dry ingredients, milk and heavy cream, rum, and the pureed persimmon and pulse a few times till it is well combined.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Places a large tray of boiling water in the bottom rack of the oven. Pour the pudding mixture into a greased 8x8inch pan. I used a glass pyrex dish. Bake the pudding for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till the pudding is completely set and golden on the top. It will also pull out from the edges of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the pudding to come to room temperature. Slice and serve with ice cream, whipped cream or dessert cream. You can make this pudding ahead of time. It tastes best the next day as it helps the flavors to develop. Enjoy!