Persimmons are a wonderful winter fruit and I’ve begun seeing this mysterious fruit more often in 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 in Charlotte 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 around here 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 and basket to gather persimmons for jam making. 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 actually 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.
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.
PERSIMMON MUFFINS
Persimmons are a wonderful winter fruit and I’ve begun seeing this mysterious fruit more often in 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 in Charlotte 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 around here 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 and basket to gather persimmons for jam making. 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 actually 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.
Margie Bruner
owner of Glory Kitchen
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Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
Instructions