Persimmon biscuits
“As autumn rolls on, the persimmon ripens to a soft, gooey jam the colour of burnt orange and its skin thins until it finally cracks like that of fig.”
- Enough persimmons to make 1 cup of pulp
- 125g of butter
- 250g of sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 1/4 cups of plain flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 cup of chopped, roasted hazelnuts
- 1 cup of sultanas
- 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon,
- ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Of the fruit, there are two distinct types. The non-astringent variety, which is flat and almost boxy in shape, can be eaten while it is still as crisp as an apple. The astringent type, however, which looks more like an acorn-shaped tomato, contains tannic acid, and must ripen fully, until the flesh is jelly-like and very sweet, before it can be eaten.
Method
Cream 125g of butter and 250g of sugar.
Mix in 1 cup of ripe persimmon pulp and 1 whole egg.
Sift 21/4 cups of plain flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder together
and mix in.
Add 1 cup of chopped, roasted hazelnuts, 1 cup of sultanas and a 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg.
Drop with a teaspoon onto greased baking trays.
Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 190C oven.
Makes about 90 biscuits.
