Bonus Recipe: Persimmon Bread!

So I've had some persimmons sitting in a bowl on top of our bar for weeks and weeks now, waiting for them to ripen. A week or so ago I finally decided to force the issue and shoved an apple in with them and put a lid on the bowl to help the malingering three (one had already achieved water balloon consistency).

Today was the day (actually it was a very bad day, but baking often helps terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, at least for me) to attempt Persimmon Bread, cue ominous chords. Earlier I had found a James Beard recipe on David Lebovitz's website (where our household turns for ice cream making guidance, the link is in the side bar).

I going to put it here, but will link to the Persimmon page at the bottom as well.

Using the higher amount of sugar will produce a moister and, of course, sweeter bread.


Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.


3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)


1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.


2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.


4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.


5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.

Yield: Two 9 inch loaves

from David Lebovitz's Living the Sweet Life in Paris