by: Margie Bruner, owner of Glory Kitchen
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Persimmons are a wonderful winter fruit and it seems as though they’ve recently become the darlings of winter recipes – hence I’ve come up with a delicate and bright Persimmon Muffin Recipe to highlight this pretty little orange fruit. I love the way a thinly sliced persimmon is perched atop the muffin as its ruffled edges curled and crisped during the baking process. I’ve also added a touch of french herbs from our Glory Kitchen Provence nut & spice mix to add an interesting dimension of flavor.
I was recently driving down the road and was caught by surprise as I whizzed by the sight of a bright, bare, orange-balled tree. As I turned the car around to get a better view of this unusual sight, I realized it was a persimmon tree and I had never before seen one in full bloom. These trees are quite rare here in Charlotte and they are certainly a sight when their bare branches are bursting with large, bright, orange fruit. I stepped out and photographed the tree, however, what I really wanted to do was return with a ladder to gather a basket so I could make persimmon jam! With just a few from the farmers market, I made these muffins instead.
I’ve heard the taste of a persimmon described in many ways: some say it tastes like an apple, others say it is like a mango. Although I can see similarities to both of those, I think it has its own unique flavor. The skin can be tough but for this muffin recipe I sliced it into horizontal rounds, then sliced it into sticks, then into cubes – all with skins on. After baking in the muffin tin, the fruit was tender and very much resembled the texture of a chopped apple.
If you’ve never tried a persimmon, this is a great recipe to give it a taste and highlight the pretty orange fruit right on top of your muffin.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Provence nut & spice mix
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup persimmons, chopped (about 2-3 depending upon size)
- 1 whole persimmon (for the muffin topping)
- mandolin (for slicing the persimmon very thin) or just use a chef's knife and cut very thin slices, horizontally.
- melted butter (to brush on persimmon tops)
Instructions
- Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each well in the tin.
- Sift together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Stir in the Provence nut & spice mix, set aside.
- Whisk together in another large bowl, eggs, milk (or cream)sugar, butter and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until incorporated but you do not need to over-mix to get an extra smooth mix. Stir in the cup of chopped persimmons.
- Divide the muffin batter among the 12 muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop to get equal amounts into each well. Now take your persimmon and either using a mandolin or a large knife, slice 12 very thin rounds, horizontally. (see photos). Place one on top of each muffin cup. Brush the top of each persimmon with melted butter.
- Bake in the oven at 400° for about 17 minutes or until the muffins are nice and puffed, the persimmon tops are curled on the edges, and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve warm if possible. With muffins, I often freeze any leftovers, wrapping them individually, so they can be pulled out the night before and enjoyed with a cup of coffee in the morning.
