Freshly Foodie: Fuyu Persimmon Muffins
These fuyu persimmon muffins are buttery, fluffy, and moist! Bake up a batch and enjoy them warm for a sweet pick-me-up.
Growing up my grandma had a persimmon tree on the corner of her property on the Big Island. Back then I didn’t really appreciated how precious they were (fruits seemed to be in everyone’s backyard!) and I didn’t really like the flavor. As an adult I never looked for or even noticed persimmons in grocery stores, so when an old college friend offered me a bag of fuyu persimmons from her family’s ample harvest, I was excited but also nervous. Do I like persimmons? How can I tell when they’re ripe? How do I eat them? I had so many questions! Luckily I came across this article sharing everything you ever wanted to know about persimmons and then some.
The persimmons sat on my kitchen counter for some time as I pondered what I should do with them. After several weeks the flesh softened slightly and I took it as a cue that I needed to do something with them ASAP. I finally cut into a persimmon and took a bite. Wow, it was DELICIOUS!! I felt so silly for being afraid. I could have easily eaten the whole lot of persimmons, but I really, REALLY wanted to bake so I found this persimmon bread recipe. I decided to adapt the recipe to make muffins because 1. I didn’t have two bread pans and 2. I love sharing baked goods with friends and I find muffins easier to share. Just so you’re aware, these are SO YUMMY you might want to keep them all for yourself!
About This Recipe
This recipe was adapted from the James Beard’s Persimmon Bread Recipe, shared by David Lebovitz. David is such an accomplished chef and has authored so many cookbooks, I just knew this was going to be amazing! Modifications to his recipe are as follows:
The referenced recipe used hachiya persimmons, but I used the fuyu variety. I’m not sure how different these muffins would have tasted with the hachiya persimmon (they’re supposed to be much sweeter when ripe!), but I’m assuming they would still be amazing given the raving reviews on the recipe page. Since fuyu persimmons tend to be smaller, I did need more fruits (7 vs. 4 persimmons) to produce the called for amount of purée.
I reduced the liquor amount from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup as I was concerned the whiskey (I used Jack Daniel’s) would be too overpowering (psst…I’m neither a chef or expert on using liquor in baked goods). I haven’t tested other amounts or types of liquor to report on taste differences, but do think the whiskey added some warm, nutty notes to the muffins.
I used a mixture of nuts (pecans and macadamia) and dried fruit (raisins and cranberries) for my muffins. Feel free to use other nuts and dried fruit you might have on hand.
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Helpful Kitchen Gadgets
Here are the kitchen gadgets I found useful in making this recipe!
Magnetic measuring spoons – Double sided and so easy to store!
Ice cream scoop – Scoop perfect portions of batter each time!
Blender / food processor – Perfect for puréeing persimmon pulp
Air fryer / toaster oven – The MVP in our house
Stand mixer – This ice (mint) color is gorgeous!
How To Make Fuyu Persimmon Muffins – A Summary
Making these persimmon muffins can be summarized as follows. Since making the persimmon purée and toasting the nuts require a bit more time, consider doing these tasks before starting or even the day before to speed up the baking process.
1. Preheat oven and prepare cupcake pans
2. Mix dry mixture (flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and sugar)
3. Mix wet mixture (melted butter, eggs, persimmon purée, and liquor)
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Add toasted nuts and dried fruit.
5. Scoop batter into cupcake pan
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Enjoy!
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How To Make Persimmon Purée
Rinse persimmons under running water. Use a paring knife to remove the base of the stem, then carefully peel off persimmon skin. Chop the peeled persimmon into 1 inch chunks. Remove any seeds. Transfer to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. If prepping this ahead of time, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Extra persimmon purée can be enjoyed as is or placed in the freezer for a sweet treat.
How To Toast Nuts In A Toaster Oven
I prefer to use my toaster oven to toast nuts prior to baking, but you could also use an oven or stovetop. To toast in the toaster oven, first scatter whole nuts onto a baking sheet. Place them into the toaster oven and toast for 5-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to evenly brown and avoid burning. You want the nuts to be slightly browned with a nutty aroma. Different varieties and sizes of nuts will take different amounts of time to toast (in general, smaller nut = shorter toasting time), so stay nearby to monitor. Once toasted, remove from the toaster oven and allow to cool before chopping. If prepping this ahead of time, place in an airtight container.
Here’s The Recipe!
Fuyu Persimmon Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup melted unsalted butter (cooled to room temperature)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups persimmon purée (from about 7 medium-soft, peeled fuyu persimmons)
- 1/2 cup brandy, cognac or whiskey
- 2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped (walnuts or macadamia nuts would also work)
- 2 cups dried raisins or cranberries (other diced dried fruit such as apricots or dates can also be used)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the first 5 dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and sugar).
- In another large bowl, beat together the wet ingredients (melted butter, eggs, persimmon purée, and liquor).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the chopped nuts and fruit.
- Fill each cup with batter three-quarters of the way full. (Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to get an even amount of batter in each cup.)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Best enjoyed warm with a pad of butter.
Notes
Bon Appétit!
I tested this recipe with my husband’s coworkers and they loved it! I highly recommend adding some butter to a warm muffin. It’s SO GOOD!
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE?
If you enjoyed these persimmon muffins, leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your variations too.
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