Podcast No. 11: The proof is in the persimmon pudding

Kitchen Gadget Links

Metal sieve press with a wooden pestle.

A potato ricer.

Foley food mill.

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Spiced Persimmon Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup persimmon pulp

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. allspice or ground spicebush berries

• 1 tsp. ground fresh or powdered ginger

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 3/4 cup all-purpose white flour

• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, roasted and chopped

• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the pulp, spices, and baking soda. Stir and set aside. Here’s the cool science element to baking: The pulp-and-baking soda mixture will turn into a gel!

3. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter with both sugars. Mix in the vanilla and egg. Then add the pulp mixture.

4. Mix in the flour, forming a stiff cookie batter. Stir in the nuts and raisins.

5. Using an ice-cream scoop, drop batter onto the parchment, leaving 2” between them. Bake 12-18 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool on parchment before moving, as they need time to solidify.

Just out of the oven and cooling.