Easy Persimmon Quick Bread

Most quick breads include some sort of very, very ripe fruit, banana being the most well-known. Persimmon bread is made very similarly as you can see by this very easy recipe adapted from the website Epicurious.  Use Hachiya persimmons rather than the smaller, firmer Fuyu variety.  I wait until they are soft, orange blobs, as they sweeten as they ripen. No one will know you are using “ugly” fruit. I like to make a generous loaf plus muffins that can be frozen and re-heated for a quick snack.

Makes 1 large loaf (about 11”x 4”) plus 6 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup persimmon pulp
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp. freshly ground cinnamon
• Generous grating of whole nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecans lightly toasted and chopped
• 2-3 Tbs. of demerara sugar for topping

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 350º F
• Grease a large loaf pan and 6 count muffin pan with oil. Add a layer of parchment paper to the bottom of the loaf pan for easier removal after baking.
• In a small bowl, stir together the persimmon pulp and the baking soda. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• Blend until smooth.
• Add water to the persimmon mixture.
• Add the persimmon mixture and the flour alternatively to the sugar, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt mixture.
• Fold in the pecans.
• Pour the batter ¾ of the way up the large loaf pan and the muffin cups.
• Sprinkle demerara sugar over the tops of all.
• Bake the loaf pan for 1 hour until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The muffins require about 30 minutes, but check with a toothpick to be sure.
• Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing.
• Delicious served with whipped cream cheese and orange marmalade.