These persimmon cranberry cookies with warming spices are a delicious way to take advantage of persimmon season.
Filled with a puree made with one of fall and winter's sweetest fruits, the Fuyu persimmon, these cookies are hard to resist. I may have enjoyed a few cookies for breakfast actually.
These cookies are soft and cakelike and stay moist from the persimmon puree. In fact, they are even more moist on the second day.
Ingredients in thee Cookies:
From the Pantry: baking soda, flour, salt, and sugar.
Spices: Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
From the Refrigerator: Butter and one egg. If you prefer, you can substitute shortening for the butter.
Dried Cranberries: You can substitute raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cherries.
Toasted Pecans: You can also substitute walnuts.
Persimmon Puree: Made from ripe persimmons.
About the Persimmons:
These cookies are made with the Fuyu persimmon, which is the most common nonastringent variety of persimmons. What does this mean? You can eat them raw while they are still firm but ripe. Astringent persimmons, such as the hachiya persimmon, need to ripen until they are super soft and mushy before they are edible.
For baked goods, you can use either kind of persimmon, but if you use the astringent variety, be sure it is fully ripened.
Even though backyard persimmon trees are pretty common in this area, and those who have them are overwhelmed when they are in season with their bounty and giving the fruit away, I had never actually tried the fruit in anything but baked goods such as quick breads and cakes. Not every grocery store carries them, even when they are in season.
I received these Fuyu persimmons from Melissa's Produce, (they have several varieties of persimmons) and while planning what to bake with them, I tasted a slice of one raw and realized I'd been missing out! The flavor is sweet without any tartness, and the texture is somewhat crisp. Slices would be perfect in a salad or on a cheese tray. You can even eat one like an apple.
Fortunately, I only needed three for the puree and ate the other one raw. It was so good! Thank you Melissa's!
To Make These Cookies:
These cookies are easy to make and only take about 15 minutes to assemble once you've pureed the persimmons and toasted the pecans.
First, stir the baking soda into the persimmon puree and set aside. Whisk together the flour, spices, and salt in another bowl.
After that, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and then beat in the egg.
Next, combine all of the ingredients together and then stir in the pecans and cranberries.
Finally, using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips for Success:
While not necessary, it's a good idea at this point to chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time in the middle of the oven to ensure even baking. You can reuse the same baking sheet and parchment as long as the pan has fully cooled. You can speed up cooling with cold water or placing the pan on a granite work surface after it has partially cooled on a rack.
To puree the persimmons, I cut them into 1/2 inch pieces and then pulsed them in a mini food processor.
To toast the pecans, I baked them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for about 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and remove them from the oven when they are fragrant.
Storage:
Keep these cookies between layers of wax paper in an airtight container for up to four days. Line the bottom of the container with a couple of layers of paper towels. This is helpful for any baked goods that contain fresh fruit or vegetables.
You can also securely wrap the cookies and keep them in the feezer for up to 30 days. This is handy for getting a head start on your Christmas baking.
Note: While persimmon season is just a few months, you can keep the puree in the freezer so that you can enjoy these cookies any time!
Christmas Sweets Week!
Today is the last day of Christmas Sweets Week. Be sure to grab the recipe for my cranberry apple walnut crumb bars and my maple walnut tart.
More Christmas Sweets Recipes:
- Spice Snack Cake from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- White Chocolate Martini from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Sourdough Chocolate Christmas Star Bread from Jen Around the World
- Tom & Jerry Batter from Art of Natural Living
- Orange Cranberry Biscotti from Blogghetti
- Persimmon Cranberry Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Be sure to follow our #ChristmasSweetsWeek Pinterest Board for more ideas.
Persimmon Cranberry Cookies
These persimmon cranberry cookies with warming spices are a delicious way to take advantage of persimmon season.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup persimmon puree
- 260 grams (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. If you don't have three baking sheets, you can also reuse the baking sheets and parchment as long as the pan has cooled.
- Combine the baking soda and the persimmon puree together in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and lightened. Beat in the egg.
- Pour the puree and the butter mixtures into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until fully combined. Stir in the pecans and cranberries.
- Optional: Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Using a tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the dough and drop the scoops onto the parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches or more apart.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
112Fat (grams)
5 gSat. Fat (grams)
2 gCarbs (grams)
17 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
16 gSugar (grams)
8 gProtein (grams)
1 gCholesterol (grams)
12 mgAdapted from from Melissa's Produce and Pinch My Salt
I always try to have at least one cake-like cookie on my platter and these sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteThese sound absolutely divine. I love both of the flavors but never thought to combine them in a cookie.
ReplyDeletePersimmon is not one of my favorites but I bet in these cookies it would be delicious! (Jennifer sikora)
ReplyDeleteYum! And no guilt having these for breakfast since they're full of fruit! Love the unique combo!
ReplyDelete