If my sister and I were produce instead of people, we’d be persimmons. Without a doubt… a couple of sibling persimmons- from the same tree but oooooooh so different. Let me explain. This will all make sense in a short bit.
My little sister and I are two and a half years apart. That means we were close enough to tear things up and figure out how to get ourselves out of it. You know, experiment, explore, break stuff and try not to get in trouble… life skills.
My sister, as an adorable, slick and sly child genius, would mush up and cry whenever trouble was on the horizon. I was not quite so skilled.
Maybe we’re about to get in trouble for knocking out the screen door that was just installed hours earlier… or we’re about to get a talking to for breaking the bathroom window with a soccer ball… or someone, who shall remain nameless, thought it would be a good idea to swing like Tarzan from the palm tree…
Here’s how the situation would play out: Lauren would run into the house, after one of our outdoor terror sessions , a big ball of red eyes and tears. She’d throw herself on the ground inconsolable, and thus… unpublishable. I would freeze and try to figure out a way to fix the broken thing before my parents could discover it. Not wise. Not wise at all. I was always the one left standing stiff with the broken object, eyes wide, wracking my brain for solutions. Thus… I always got in trouble. I’m not just saying that… Lauren, you totally know it’s true.
Any while we’re on the subject, please allow me this:
Dear Lauren,
You know you were the one that ran straight into the new screen door. That was all you. I was watching The Cosby Show and minding my own business. You and your tears! I got in soooo much trouble for that! No, twenty years later, I’m still not over it. Well played sister. Very well played.
This isn’t over.
Your sister,
Joy
So… um… persimmons. Follow me.
I got a lovely couple of persimmons about two weeks ago. Two in particular reminded me of me and my darling sister. One mushed up and ripened right on cue. The other… well… hard as a rock. The same amount of time, from the same farmer’s market pile, but they were so different.
When I could wait no longer for the stubborn and solutions-oriented persimmon to get with the program, I decided to give in and make this AMAZING Persimmon Bread.
The recipe is from David Lebovitz from James Beard. It’s such a delight! It surprised even me! Persimmons lend a special sweetness and lots of moisture. There’s bourbon and you can taste it! And the walnuts just balance the whole loaf out perfectly. Use the big fat, super ripe and much Hachiya persimmons for this recipe.
Oh, and… thanks for letting me get that whole sister thing off my chest.
Persimmon Bread
Using the higher amount of sugar will produce a moister and, of course, sweeter bread.
From Beard on Bread by James Beard.
3ยฝ cups sifted flour ( I used half all purpose flour and half white whole wheat flour)
1ยฝ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2ยฝ 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.
42 Responses
Love this recipe and have made it many times since I grow my own persimmons. One thing you might try is putting your 2 cups of raisins in a large measuring cup and filling it up with whiskey until you cover all the raisins. Let this sit for about an hour until you get ready to start mixing up all the ingredients. Pour off and save the whiskey, add your 2/3 cups whiskey to the mixture and proceed as usual with the mixing and baking. Allowing the raisins to soak in the whiskey, plumps them up and really gives a good taste to your persimmon bread.
=) I realize this is 4 years after you posted it, but I must comment on the little sister thing. Partly ’cause I’m a younger sister, and also ’cause I’m a bio dork who minored in anthropology.
I am convinced that the youngest sibling often develops certain interpersonal skills, such as a strong charm streak, because they have to. The baby will pretty much NEVER be able to win a contest of physical strength against their older sibling, the baby always knows WAY less than everyone else in the house (so is easily fooled & more often confused), and until they’re grown up, also have less $$ or ability to earn it. No power, and no tangible resources.
So, I think the babies learn pretty quickly that to get someone to help us, or be on our side, since we have NO power or resources to offer, we learn to CHARM them into wanting to help us, or being on our side. Whether that’s by being extra delightful and entertaining, or by crying and making them feel sorry for us.
Since we cannot force things, and typically have less actual power than ANYONE in the house (keenly felt), we have to manipulate & strategize to get things to go our way. =) Otherwise we’re 100% hosed.
And I’m not calling all the “babies” charming, but I’ve noticed this is v. common among my friends who were the youngest.
My sister, on the other hand, could scare the crap out of anyone in the neighborhood, and was a great person to have my back. =) ‘Course she scared me too, but we’ve already covered that. =)
LOVE love LOVE your thoughtful posts. Love your writing. Want you to write more, always. xo
I too found this recipe on David Leibovitz’s website and have made it many a time. If you want to intensify the persimmon flavor, I like to cook the puree down a bit, you know get rid of some of the water first, so it’s even more persimmony.
This is a very good bread. Try soaking the raisins in the bourbon that you will be using, even more flavor for the bread.
I have no clue what cognac was. I looked it up and found out it was like brandy. I choose to not use alcohol what can i substitute with.
Holy moly do your breads look AWEsome! Maybe it’s just great photography, but we’re pretty good at eyeballing great tasting pastry even prior to tasting. We were searching for a persimmon bread recipe to share w/ our customers in an article on winter fruit (or lack thereof). We’ll be creating a link to your website and trying out of your recipes ASAP! – Thanks!
Can you tell me why my persimmon bread falls in the middle while baking not while cooling.
Yummy recipe with tender crumb. I subbed lemon juice for the bourbon and reduced to 1/2 c. per Janet’s suggestion and used 2 c sugar. Baked some mini loaves to share with friends. Looking forward to trying more of Joy’s recipes!
This persimmon bread recipe is not ADAPTED from James Beard; this IS James Beard’s recipe–in most places word for word. Very naughty, I think.
Mine is in the oven as I write. I feel a little tipsy from the batter bowl I licked at the end! I ran out of white sugar and had to sub some dark brown for about 1/2 cup, hope it’s okay!
mmmmmmmm..i love persimmons. if you would be so kind, joy, could you send a loaf over to my house? thanks.
-catherine eng, almost 12!!!
I think the baking time is too long and that is too much cognac. My bread was totally done…almost overdone….at 50 minutes. When I cut into it, the cognac smell hit me hard. The bread tastes WONDERFUL, but I would reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes and then check every minute or so after that. I would also cut the cognac down to half a cup.
oh my. I made this today and it’s divine! somehow i found myself with spare jack daniels and pecans and this recipe fell from heaven into my lap. or oven…….
I only had about half the amount of persimmon – (I think they’re called Sharon Fruit in the UK) so made the rest of the liquid up with yoghurt.
yum yum yum. it’s all i can do to not eat both now.
Loved the pictures! Beautiful! Totally got the little sister thing, too. Do you have a suggestion for a substitution for the spirits in the persimmon bread? Will orange juice work, do you think? My brother-in-law brought me a whole box of persimmons, and I want to try the bread–but without the alcohol. Thanks!
Hi.
Baked the bread today :)
Most pleased. I used chopped dates and pecans. The bread is beautiful and the taste excellent. I think next round I will do it with raisins just to be different/
Thank you for sharing this with us.
do yu have to put raisins or any dried fruits?
I’ve been seeing persimmons but don’t really know what to do with them. My mother eats them out of hand but I don’t really go that way. Hmm, maybe I’ll try this bread. Might convert me to persimmons. Bookmarked: thanks!
I buy them and do nothing with them, I am going to make this bread next time I buy them.
I love persimmon bread-this is the gift I would give my teachers every year growing up. Often you can buy damaged ones cheaply at produce stands if you dont know someone with a tree. If you are making bread with them put them in the freezer, then while they thaw keep them in a bowl and you will have puree. just pull the skins off with your hands. I’m a golden raisin only gal in my persimmon bread. Delish!
I once ate a raw not-quite-ripe persimmon and haven’t really recovered since. But this looks incredible.
I’ve always wanted to try persimmons. What do they taste like? What do they look like inside?
I feel your pain. My little sister totally did the looked-cute-crying-and-got-away-with-EVERYTHING deal, too. She still sort of does, but I’m pretty much… er… over it. Great looking bread! I’ve never cooked with persimmons, so I might just need to.
Thanks for the excellent recipe. So, I’ve never seen a persimmon in person, but I’m guessing there are seeds. What do you do with the seeds? Leave them in the puree, sift them out, something else??? I bet there’s somewhere around here that has persimmons in stock. Off to find some…
(PS I can’t comment on the sister thing — I’m an only child, so I was pretty much always on the hook. ;-)
I have grown up with persimmons as a staple my family’s kitchen, but I have never seen it in a bread!
Having two sisters myself, I loved this post. None of us were as good as your sis. Though one time when my sister and I were about to get in trouble… she scratched her arm and then started crying that I did it!!! I couldn’t believe it, but even back then, I had to give her props. I tried to do it with my younger sister a few days later but totally got caught. hehe
I’m so glad you make this bread! I love it and have made several batches this fall.
i have to tell u this pointless info.. :P
I am a (evil, conniving) younger sister.. not intentional i think its part of the job description. anyway my older brother has taken the fall too many times on my behalf!! egging the neighbors, Crayons on the wall, Broken teeth of my mom’s eyebrow brush … list is endless!
hiii.. Im curently studying abroad and I have access to the most amazing persimmons imaginable!!!!! but i dont have an oven!! or any utencils to make this bread with!!! :O :O :O
The cruelty !!!
*sighs deeply .. and gets back to finishing essay*
love the sister story. my technique was to fess up immediately, my brothers was to try to hide his guilt (or lie…)
Sorry, the website that will my name will link you to is no longer available. This is the new website (the one linked to this post)
Mmm… that sounds interesting… in a delicious kind of way :)
Thanks for sharing the recipe! Great pics
Of course your little sister ran through the screen door. Little sisters are awesome, but they are KidLife Ruiners. For example, my mother finally agreed at the end of a week of tag team begging to let the Kosara sisters sleep over. My little sis, in her excitement, began dancing in her catholic school uniform socks on the hardwood floor and slipped. Bad. Like, chipped her front tooth diagonally in half bad.
Her imaginary dancing went way too far and she was left with a snaggletooth for 6 months, and I got screwed out of an awesome sleepover party. I still haven’t forgiven her.
-Sarah
little siblings always get the big sisters in trouble…no way around it. this bread sounds intriguing…i’ve actually never had persimmon before. i should correct that culinary oversight.
I’m sure you’ve written this before, but what camera do you use?! Your pictures are always completely lovely.
Beautiful bread… I adore persimmons but can’t seem to find any in the grocery store that don’t look damaged!
I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a persimmon. I’d be willing to try one in this bread. Love your tablecloth in the pictures.
This looks so good. I am so glad you put a recipe up for persimmon bread, I have never tried them and would love to in this recipe.
this looks nice. I ve never hear of persimon bread but it s an interesting recipe :)
I saw the picture in the other post and couldn’t figure out what those were, now we know. Has your sister ever admitted to your parents that she’s the one who ran through the screen?
Oh my goodness. My sisters and I had the same dynamic. I never, ever went crying to my parents and was always the one in trouble because of it. Little Sister was always so upset by what happened that clearly I talked her into it and she wasn’t to blame. :)