Persimmon Cookies
It’s December which means it’s time to turn on the ovens and get baking. My holiday baking list is long so I can’t waste any time. I asked Josh if he had any requests for Christmas cookies this year and of course he added his favorite Lime Coconut Snowballs and World Peace Cookies to the list, but he also asked if we could make Persimmon Cookies. I looked at him with a blank stare. I’ve never even had a persimmon or a persimmon cookie. Josh said his mom used to make Persimmon Cookies every year and he loved them. Well, Josh’s mom came to visit us last week from California and brought us a bag full of persimmons. Guess what we made? Yep, a batch of Josh’s mom’s famous Persimmon Cookies.
Josh’s mom had to show me what to do with a persimmon. I was clueless:) I guess there are two kinds of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiyas, we used Hachiyas persimmons, which are better for baking. Make sure your persimmons are nice and ripe. We scooped out the pulp from the fruit to use in our cookies. The pulp is bright orange and sort of slimy:) I was a little afraid, but Josh’s mom promised me it was going to produce a good cookie…and she was right:)
The cookies have a few of my favorite spices-cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The cookies also have raisins in them. If you are a raisin hater, you can leave them out or add dried cranberries, but we love our raisins:) Josh’s mom sometimes adds walnuts to the cookies, but since Josh is allergic, we left them out. The cookies have a cake-like texture and are super soft. They aren’t the prettiest cookie on their own, but the orange glaze dresses them up a bit and compliments the spices.
A big thanks to Josh’s mom for sharing her Persimmon cookie recipe. We will be baking these cookies every holiday season from now on. It will be our family tradition. I am sure Caleb will love these cookies, just like his daddy:)
Persimmon Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup persimmon pulp (from 2-3 persimmons)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, we omitted)
1 cup raisinsFor the orange glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zestDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture until everything is combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using, and raisins.
4. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges and set. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the orange glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and zest together. Whisk until smooth. Dip the cookie tops into the glaze and twirl the cookie. Set cookies back on wire rack for glaze to harden.
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SaveIf you like these Persimmon Cookies, you might also like:
- Persimmon Spice Cookies from Eat, Live, Run
- Persimmon Cookies with Greek Yogurt Glaze from Eats Well With Others
- Chocolate Persimmon Muffins from David Lebovitz
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OH I can’t wait to try these…though that would mean we would have to use the persimmons for baking instead of plain ‘ol eating. And they’re SOOO good when ripe to just eat! YUM!
Go persimmons! They are so underappreciated here in the US but the Fuyus are so delicious! And the hachiyas really do make cookies taste amazing. Need to try these!
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So sweet, I love the story! I’ve actually never had a persimmon but I’m trying to branch out in the odd fruit department and these look worth a try
I’m with you…I’ve never touched a persimmon. You’ve intrigued me. They look and sound beautiful!
this looks delicious! glad i found this blog im going to bed in to read more
Belle
I have never had a persimmon cookie. Now I am totally curious because these sound and look delicious. Have fun with your baking list, I can’t wait to see the rest ;D
Those are just beautiful! I don’t know why I am so intimidated by persimmon- I need to branch out!
How do you know when they are ripe? The ones I get in my produce bin are always hard as rocks!
Thanks Maria, so very glad you enjoyed my old time favorite and family recipe. It made me pretty happy to know that you liked them!
I had such a wonderful visit with you, Josh and my precious Caleb! Cannot wait for the next visit… Love You! Miss all of you like crazy! Wish I could be in two or three places at the same time! xoxoxoxo
You completely piqued my interest. Now I’m just so seeing where the heck I’m going to find persimmons, lol!
I just picked up my bountiful basket this morning and I got a whole bunch of persimmons and even some oranges. Perfect! I didn’t even know what a persimmon was until today. These look delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I have soooo many permissions – definitely making these cookies!
I love persimmon cookies! These look delicious!
I’m so intrigued by persimmons now! I have been seeing them at the store, have never tried one though! These cookies are so pretty with that glaze!
I’ve never had a persimmon either! These cookies look fantastic though, so I might need to pick one up next time I’m at the store
I love the look of these…although having never cooked with persimmons I can’t quite imagine what they would taste like. Definitely one to try very soon!
these sound very interesting. I just bought a persimmon, but haven’t eaten it yet
I just made these today for the 25 days of Cookies challenge! I blogged about it too! I love persimmon’s. While I was living in Japan I ate them fresh from the trees in my family’s yard! Thanks for a fun recipe!
I adore cooking with persimmons but haven’t tried them in cookies. What a fun idea!
I have never seen Persimmon Cookies!! They look delicious…
you had me at persimmon as they’re my favorite fall fruit!
I love finding persimmon recipes even though I rarely find myself with persimmons. I find you can swap out just about any other fruit puree and get the same results. The recipes are always so versatile, thanks for sharing.
i’ve had this in my ‘to try’ box since you posted and food co op basket just gave me seven persimmons! so now it’s time to get baking! i was just curious how you made the pulp? i’ve read a lot online and the instructions i’ve found all say to use a foodmill. did you just scoop the pulp out and blend it? i don’t have a foodmill so i was hoping to find a better source to make the pulp. any advice? thanks so much!
Two Peas replied: — December 7th, 2011 @ 2:44 pm
Make sure the persimmons are VERY ripe. You want them to be squishy. You can use a food processor or blender if you don’t have a food mill. That is what I did. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
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I am totally with you, no clue what to do with a persimmon. My hubby brought a box of them home from work. I was very happy to find your recipe!!! I’ll be making quite a few batches since I have so many of these little gems!
Two Peas replied: — December 8th, 2011 @ 9:40 pm
I hope you enjoy the cookies!
I love persimmon in baked goods. It’s a nice change from pumpkin this time of year. Thanks for the recipe!
Too bad the persimmons are very expensive up here in Northwest….but I buy one at a time, because I love to make these. They are tasty and they go fast after baking….They are becoming more and more popular.
I have made these cookies twice now, and they are DELICIOUS. Thank you for the recipe.
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Hey guys! I FINALLY found where to buy persimmons online!
https://farmtropical.com/product/persimmon/
I ordered a regular box and they were shipped a couple days later. Amazing quality and priced fairly well considering that I can’t find them anywhere nearby. They’re also grown in the south florida so I guess that’s local?
Thanks for this amazing Persimmon cookies recipe. I LOVE PERSIMMON!
I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious these were! I did do half all purpose and half wheat, replaced sugar with splenda, and omitted the frosting–didn’t need it at all as the cookies were amazing in itself! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Two Peas replied: — October 24th, 2012 @ 10:55 pm
Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
FYI, there are more than two types of persimmons. And, there is a native to North America persimmon (principally from the central to eastern US). They are smaller than Asian persimmon varieties, but their flavor is much richer, spicier, and generally more intense. Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_virginiana
Our neighbors brought us a bucket! full of persimmons last week. I’ve figured out that they’re hachiyas so we’re now waiting for that very ripe stage. I’d never heard the word astringent used referring to food before, but that’s what an unripe hachiya is. It sucks all the moisture out of your mouth – I know we tried one! Looking forward to making these cookies next week, if they’re VERY ripe by then. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these for my kindergartener’s cookie exchange last night. Thanks for the recipe, super yummy and a great way to use up the persimmons that showed up in our CSA box!
I’ve been making persimmon cookies and steamed persimmon pudding for years. It’s a Christmas tradition in my house. If your persimmons aren’t ripe and I mean goopy ripe! Then put them in the freezer overnite. When you defrost them they will be perfectly ripe for baking your cookies. They freeze very well whole or pureed.
I found & tried this recipe for 1st time after a co-worker gave me a bunch of home grown Fuyu persimmons , I substituted dried cranberries (Craisins) for the raisins with the Walnuts and they were a smashing hit with and without the nuts! Only surprise was my orange glaze came out kinda clear and not as white as pictured, did I miss something else? They still tasted delicious though! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Correction: I received the Hachiya variety of Persimmon NOT Fuyu, as far as I know, the Fuyuwill no’t ripen like the Hachiya so unless someone found a way to ripen the Fuyu using them might yield different results.
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I’ve started buying frozen persimmons that are from Korea and they are really tasty. They are in the frozen foods aisle at a specialty grocery store next to all the other frozen fruits. They are really yummy.