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Try this delightful persimmon pudding

Recipe: Old favorite made with (finally) ripe Fuyu

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JAN 5, 2020

Persimmon pudding is a delicious, easy dessert based on a Midwest classic. Add raisins if desired.
(Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Fuyu persimmons take awhile to get to pudding stage. Several weeks after harvest, my Fuyus are finally reaching that jelly texture needed for baking and puddings.

This delightful pudding is legendary in the Midwest. For three decades, it appeared as part of the directions for using Dymple's Delight canned persimmon pulp.

Dymple's Delight was the creation of Dymple Green, who operated with her husband, Vernon, a persimmon packing company that shipped the sweet pulp worldwide. The Greens used only native persimmons, a variety that grows from Virginia to Indiana.

Mrs. Green passed away in 2012, but her pudding lives on. Her hometown of Mitchell, Ind., celebrates an annual Persimmon Festival each September. The top prize goes to the best persimmon pudding.

Persimmon puddings have a slightly lighter texture and different flavor made with Fuyus or Hachiyas, the persimmons most commonly found in California. But they still make delicious pudding.

In this version, I scaled the recipe down for 1 cup of pulp (about two or three large persimmons) and added raisins.

Dymple's Delight persimmon pudding

Adapted from Dymple's Delight

Makes 9 servings

This recipe can use ripe Fuyus, the flatter persimmons, above,
or Hachiyas, which are more heart-shaped.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup persimmon pulp
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.

Sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside. Stir baking soda into sour cream or buttermilk. Set aside.

Combine persimmon pulp and sugar in a large bowl. Mix well. Add egg, beating well. Alternately, add sour cream/buttermilk mixture and flour mixture. Stir in cream and honey. Add raisins, if desired. Fold in melted butter.

After an hour of baking, the pudding is ready.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Smooth surface with a spatula. Bake until the center is set, about 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired.

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* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

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