Persimmon Pudding

The Midwest classic — a dense, dark, spiced baked pudding from ripe persimmon pulp, served warm under cream

Serves 8–10 · 20 min

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2 cups persimmon pulp (from ~5–6 very ripe Hachiya or a pile of ripe American persimmons)
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk (or milk + 1 Tbsp lemon)
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp butter, melted (+ more for the pan)
1 tsp baking soda · ½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp cinnamon · ½ tsp nutmeg · ¼ tsp cloves · ¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
To serve
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Make the pulp. Scoop the flesh from the very ripe persimmons and press it through a sieve or food mill to leave skin and seeds behind. You want 2 cups of smooth orange pulp. Taste — it should be sweet with no chalky grip; if it's at all astringent, the fruit isn't ripe enough yet.
Mix wet. Whisk the pulp, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Butter a 9×13 pan and heat the oven to 325°F.
Add dry. Stir in the flour, soda, baking powder, spices, and salt just until combined — a few lumps are fine; don't beat it.
Bake low and slow. Pour in and bake at 325°F for 55–65 min, until the edges pull from the pan and the center is set but still soft. It will puff, then sink as it cools — the dip is the texture, not a failure.
Serve warm. Cut into squares and serve warm with cold whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Make the pulp. Scoop the flesh from the very ripe persimmons and press it through a sieve or food mill to leave skin and seeds behind. You want 2 cups of smooth orange pulp. Taste — it should be sweet with no chalky grip; if it's at all astringent, the fruit isn't ripe enough yet.

2. Mix wet. Whisk the pulp, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Butter a 9×13 pan and heat the oven to 325°F.

3. Add dry. Stir in the flour, soda, baking powder, spices, and salt just until combined — a few lumps are fine; don't beat it.

4. Bake low and slow. Pour in and bake at 325°F for 55–65 min, until the edges pull from the pan and the center is set but still soft. It will puff, then sink as it cools — the dip is the texture, not a failure.

5. Serve warm. Cut into squares and serve warm with cold whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. No alcohol? swap the wine or beer for the same amount of stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon for the brightness. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.