Wild Persimmon Pudding
- 1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 extra-large eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup wild persimmon pulp
- 7/8 cup milk
- 1½ tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks with 2 tablespoons confectioners’ (10X) sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 tablespoon Cognac)
Instructions:
If wild persimmons are unavailable, you can buy wild persimmon purée.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a 1-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together onto a large piece of wax paper and set aside.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a large electric mixer bowl at moderately high speed until thick and pale yellow. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the persimmon pulp and milk. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix by hand until well blended. Finally, stir in the melted butter, mixing only enough to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared casserole, spreading to the edge, then set in a baking pan and slide onto the middle oven shelf. Pour hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the casserole.
- Bake the pudding in the water bath for about 1 hour or until it pulls from the sides of the casserole.
- Serve warm with a dollop of topping scooped over each portion.