Persimmon Pudding

Catering during the holidays brings some particular responsibilities. It's a time for tradition, and everyone seems to have their own take on which traditions most need to be followed. Christmas Ham? The Feast of 7 Fishes? Latkes? Buche de Noel? Hallacas? Goose???

Sometimes a client will ask us to prepare an old family recipe. This can often be a recipe for disaster as one never knows how much of the recipe Aunt Jimmy had in her head and how much really made it to the paper... But several years ago we were handed this recipe for Persimmon Pudding with the caveat that "Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without it". It has since become one of our favorites. It's simple enough to tweak as you wish. Maybe some orange zest, this year with added cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe a generous douse of brandy set afire as it comes to the table.

If you haven't cooked with persimmons very much, here's some info for you. There are two basic types on the market. Hachiya and Fuyu. The Hachiya are slightly elongated and the bottom comes to a tip. These needs to be squishy soft with a slightly translucent skin in order to be edible. Anything less than mush is inedible and will provide more astringent pucker than any person could handle. The Fuyu variety look like an orange tomato and are best when firm to the touch. For this recipe, use the Hachiya variety. You can make the persimmon pulp by peeling and seeding the persimmon and pureeing it in a blender or processor.
Here's the basic recipe:

Persimmon Pudding

butter and flour for lining mold
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Hachiya persimmon pulp, overripe
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
2/3 cup dried fruit (we suggest dried tart cherries and raisins, 1/3 cup each)

Lightly coat the interior of a lidded mold (or heatproof bowl) with butter and flour. Set aside.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together persimmon pulp, butter and sugar until blended. Add vanilla. Alternately mix the dry ingredients and milk into the persimmon mix. Stir in dried fruit.

Pour the pudding mix into the prepared mold, filling it 3/4 full . Attach the lid and tie in place with string. (If using a bowl, cover the bowl with parchment paper and then cover with a clean towel and enclose in aluminum foil.)
Place mold in a large steamer, or on a raised rack in the pan, add an inch or so of boiling water and steam over low heat for 5 hours. Keep an eye on the pot and add more hot water as needed to keep a steady supply of steam.

Remove from steamer and let cool completely. Unmold carefully and serve with spiced whipped cream.