Forest Products Week: Persimmon Processing!

Place several washed persimmons in a colander, and go to town mashing them up.

Push the pulp through the holes with a big wooden spoon.  Put the seeds far away from the house so you aren't invaded by 'possums and coons.  You can plant the seeds in unforested areas for future persimmon fruitiness.

Persimmon pulp.  Boy oh Boy is it good!  Use it in the recipe below to make these cookies.

Photo Credit: Mrs. True Blue Sam

Persimmon Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup very ripe persimmon puree*
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp persimmon puree
• 1 tsp grated orange peel

·         1 Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Add persimmon puree, stirring until blended.

·         2 Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to persimmon mixture a third at a time, stirring just until flour is incorporated. Stir in nuts.

·         3 Lay out plastic wrap on a large smooth surface. Place the cookie dough on the plastic wrap and form into a long cylindrical log, wrapping the dough completely with the plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Chill at least a couple of hours, until frozen or almost frozen.

·         4 Preheat oven to 375°F. When dough is fairly solid, unwrap from plastic wrap and slice with a sharp knife, 1/4" thick rounds. Lay out cookie dough rounds on stick-free cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies spring back when lightly touched in center. Let cool on baking racks before frosting.

·         5 When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp of persimmon puree and 1 tsp of grated orange peel and mix until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze mixture and dribble over cookies. Let harden and serve.

·         Makes about 2 dozen cookies.