Persimmon Cookie Recipes

Persimmons are orange-colored, edible fruits. They come in two varieties, namely, fuyu and hachiya, both having extremely different properties from one another. Fuyu persimmons are small and resemble tomatoes; usually peeled and sliced before eating.

Hachiya is larger and somewhat acorn-shaped, and has an extremely astringent flavor in its unripe stage. However, once they are completely ripe, the sweet and tasty pulp is spooned. The pulp can either be consumed raw or can be used in baked dishes like cookies.

• ¾ cup overripe hachiya persimmon
• 1½ cup brown sugar
• 2¾ cups flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. cloves
• 2 eggs (whole)
• 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp. fuyu persimmon purée
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 2 tbsp. milk

Slice the top of the overripe hachiya persimmon and scoop the pulp with the help of a spoon; discard the seeds. In a bowl, whisk the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs, together. Add the persimmon pulp to the bowl, and stir.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cloves; add these to the persimmon mixture and knead the dough. Add the nuts at the end, shape the dough into a narrow cylinder, and cover it with a plastic wrap. Keep it in a refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours.

Then, remove the dough, unwrap the plastic wrap, and slice it into ¼"-thick cookies using a sharp knife. Place the cookies on a nonstick cookie sheet, keeping at least an inch of space between each one. Bake them in a 375 °F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they spring back when touched in the center.

Once they are baked, set them aside to cool. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the milk, until the mixture turns smooth. Add the fuyu persimmon purée and orange zest to the bowl and mix them up. Pour this mixture over the cookies, allow them to harden, and serve.

• 1 cup persimmon pulp
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. water
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (of your choice)
• 1 cup dates, chopped

In a large bowl, mix the butter along with the sugar until you get a creamy consistency, and then add the pulp, cornstarch, and water to it; set aside. Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, flour, baking soda, nuts, and dates, together, in another bowl. Now, add the previously prepared wet mixture to this, and stir.

Using a small teaspoon, place the cookie dough on a greased baking sheet, and then bake them at 350 °F for 10-12 minutes, or wait until the bottom of the cookies turn slightly brown. Allow them to cool, before serving.