Persimmon Bread - James Beard

• servings: One Loaf

Ingredients

200g AP flour

5g (3/4 teaspoon) salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

220g brown sugar

110g (1 stick) melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

80ml (1/3 cup) Cognac or bourbon whiskey (see headnote)

270g (1 cup) persimmon puree, from about 2 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons or very ripe Fuyus frozen and thawed to pulpify, or bananas

100g walnuts or pecans, toasted (275F convection 10 minutes) and chopped

135g raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)

Directions

Melt butter, take eggs out from fridge, toast nuts. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Butter a loaf pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

Whisk the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree, then the nuts and raisins.

Bake to an internal temperature of 175F or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 67 minutes.

Notes

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. Persimmon bread takes well to being frozen, too.

An equal weight of squashed bananas (about two large bananas) works very well instead of persimmons, as a banana bread.

12/7/2023: 270g Fuyu pulp thawed from frozen. Used 220g sugar; half/half brown/white. Baked 70 minutes to 177F, no crumbs on toothpick. Could have baked it slightly less.